Kaua’i boy Aamion Goodwin, 23, has already been able to tour the world as a surfer, but now his photo is gracing the covers of international fashion magazines, the latest being Greek Vogue. In Jan. 2000, Aamion’s likeness appeared on
Kaua’i boy Aamion Goodwin, 23, has already been able to tour the world as a surfer, but now his photo is gracing the covers of international fashion magazines, the latest being Greek Vogue.
In Jan. 2000, Aamion’s likeness appeared on the cover of Surfing magazine. “That’s when I knew his life was going to really begin,” said his dad, North Shore resident Aaron Goodwin.
Aamion Goodwin has since picked up modeling gigs for Surfing magazine as well as surf wear clothing company Hurley, plus American Eagle Outfitters.
Goodwin explained his view of his son’s life: “What a model tries to do is get with big photographers. If they find you instead of you going through the ranks, your career takes a different turn.”
Aamion Goodwin – who stands six-feet, five-inches – was born in the Mayan highlands region of Mexico, ran around in the jungles of Fiji, and grew up on North Shore Kaua’i beaches. He attended Hanalei School and Kapa’a Intermediate School, and was home-schooled during his high school years to give him more time in the water surfing.
“I raised him in Fiji, very primitive, and we came back and forth to school (on Kaua’i’). Surfing and doing that sort of thing is natural for the kids here,” his father said.
The surfer and paddleboarder made it onto the cover of Greek Vogue earlier this year. The shot was taken by fashion photographer Mario Testino, who according to Aaron, spotted Aamion out of a crowd of surfers on O’ahu and told him he would become a modeling star.
Fashion shots of Aamion Goodwin taken by Testino later found their way onto the lightbox of famed New York fashion photographer Bruce Weber, who’s also known for spotting new male models, said Goodwin.
“For a surfer, that’s kind of a rare thing to become a model,” Aaron Goodwin said. His son signed this year with the New York-based Click Modeling Agency and he said the Kaua’i-raised young man is becoming the next “cover boy” for popular clothing companies.
Aamion Goodwin is just one of a number of Kaua’i teens who graduated from high school during the mid-to-late 90s and have since traveled around the world, collecting passport stamps and worldwide acclaim as surfers, actors and models.
The list includes pro surfers Bruce and Andy Irons; top-ranked female surfer Keala Kennelly; “Blue Crush” movie co-star Sanoe Lake; and Roxy Quiksilver model Lila Balmores.
Modeling, however different a world from the international surfing tour, probably won’t take over Aamion Goodwin’s life just yet. He is still competing in surfing contests and going on surfing trips.
On Sunday he and tandem paddler Keith Malloy took third place in the Quiksilver Moloka’i to O’ahu Paddleboard Race. This week, he’s in California for the US Open surfing championships.
In 1997, at the age of 18, Aamion reached the NSSA (National Scholastic Surfing Association) finals and won regional Hawai’i contests. At age 18, he picked up his first East Coast board sponsor (Wave Riding Vehicles) at Virginia Beach.
The name Aamion comes from the universal sound, “om,” said his father. It was a cosmic name that his parents said they knew was his before he was born. Some people call him “Aamion the Hawaiian” as a play on the unique spelling of his name, when the “m” in his first name is turned upside down to become a “w”.
Aaron Goodwin and his wife, Ave, have run the Evolve Love Artists Gallery in Ching Young Village in Hanalei Town, and are one the shopping center’s longest-running tenants.
Staff Writer Kendyce Manguchei can be reached at kmanguchei@pulitzer.net or 245-3681 (ext. 253).
