About
What We Offer
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TOP NOTCH SURF INSTRUCTION​
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PERFORMANCE & BASIC RENTALS
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TOURS & SHORT TERM EXCURSIONS
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WORLDS BEST PRODUCTS​
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AUTHENTIC HOT WAX MERCHANDISE
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LONG TERM RENTALS WITH FREE DELIVERY
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SHORT TERM SELF GUIDED EXCURSIONS AT OUR EXCLUSIVE LOCATIONS,TOURS
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DAY TRIPPERS- BEACH PARKING & RENTALS FROM OUR STORE LOCATION (SOME RESTRICTIONS APPLY)
Who We Are
MIKE & LANI CREWS
OWNERS MIKE AND LANI CREWS HAVE BEEN OPERATING HOT WAX SINCE 1987. HOT WAX IS THE PREMIER SPOT IN EMERALD ISLE FOR ACITIVITIES, RENTALS, HARDWARE ACCESSORIES, AND ONE OF A KIND TEE'S.
LEILANI CREWS
Leilani Crews has owned and operated Hot Wax Surf & Paddle in Emerald Isle, NC with Mike for the past twenty-three years. She is the Financial Administrator for the shop and manages the retail sales. She enjoys spending time with their children, Jeannie and Derek, and new grandson Kai.
Over the years, Leilani has become acquainted with the local children in the community who have been taking surf lessons at the shop and enjoyed watching them grow into adults.
Leilani's mother, Mary Yahnker, lived in Honolulu, HI, in the 1930's. Mary and her older brother Jim were very close in age and inseparable. At age 12, Mary and Jim had the privilege to learn to surf from "The Duke" (Duke Kahanamoku) along with the boys from the Episcopal Church Boarding School where Leilani's father, the Reverend Albert Stone, was the Headmaster.
Jim made two beautiful mahogany surfboards that were too heavy for Mary to carry but claimed they were wonderful in the water. They surfed on Waikiki Beach in front of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel where waves were often 3-6 feet high.A photo can be seen in the shop that has been featured in National Geographic Magazine special Hawaiian editions with Mary and five of her girl friends she is the gal on the far right in front of the dark board with KEIKI written on the board,how cool is that?
MICHAEL CREWS
Michael Crews, a surf instructor, local waterman and activity director has worked as a Action Sports representative and is a native North Carolinian and has enjoyed over thirty years of surfing up and down the East Coast, Southern California, Mexico Costa Rica ,Thailand and while working in the industry.
For the past twenty-three years, Mike and his wife, Lani, have owned and operated Hot Wax Surf & Paddle in Emerald Isle, NC. Mike has taught thousands of students to surf at our Hot Wax day camp.One reason I am still running the shop is I love sharing surfing and hooking folks up with a great surfboard and knowing that they will get thousands of rides on those boards.
Mike and Lani raised two children: Jeannie, and Derek. We have a large extended family of twenty two in the local area and get together frequently. The local surfers I also consider family and if you surf here then I know you, there's a shared feeling of stoke like no other when riding waves with friends and I love it We also have a great local tribe in Carteret County.
Surfing my whole life and with nine years experience ocean lifeguard supervisor and a trained in WSI Red Cross Life Saving , you can rest assured our instructors have the qualifications to keep you safe in the water. In business and in life I always strive to make things better and improve our programs,products and services for our customers. We create great life time memories with our activities programs for vacationers and locals.
Mike loves all kinds of music and enjoys art, gardening, architecture, photography, cooking, yoga and spending time with good friends and family including newest Crews family member and grandson Kai.
Mike enjoys teaching all ages and is known in the community for his services as a volunteer and coach for the past 30 years. In addition, he is also a CYI, Level II Ashtanga Yoga Instructor who sometime offers individual and group classes.
I love water sports and will make your experience one to remember. You will recognize it when you visit our shop the vibe has always been positive and friendly. You will not find a more highly trained and qualified group of instructors,and staff than the ones at Hot Wax anywhere.