Surfer Coco Ho Is Making Waves With Her Personal Style

The American athlete opens up about her "clean girl era" and a new line of surfing accessories with Swatch.

Few names in surfing are as recognizable as Coco Ho. The Hawaii-based surfer and daughter of surfing legend Michael Ho has competed on the World Surfing League Tour for nearly 20 years, snagging trophies with the help of sponsors like Volcom, Reef, and Swatch.

But it’s the latter that is allowing her to dip into fashion, designing her own water-ready watches. And her latest drop is one that feels like a new step for the surfer. “I'm in my clean girl era,” she says. “I wanted it to be really simple and clean and be able to match everything.”

The watch, named Coco Ho Blu, is part of the Swatch's Proteam collection and features an ivory dial, gold appliqué indexes, and turquoise details. According to Ho, its silicone strap and water-resistant design make it a match for those who like to live between land and sea. “I make sure all of my watches, even though now I want them to be fancier, are all still silicone bands and water resistant,” she says.

The collaboration is something that Ho could have only dreamed of growing up. She was first introduced to the timepiece brand while watching her surfing icon compete with the Swatch logo on her board. “My hero was sponsored by them,” she says, referring to American surfer Rochelle Ballard, who produced the cult classic Blue Crush in 2002.

Now, at 33, Ho is fulfilling a childhood goal, working alongside Swatch. Aside from her own model, Ho says she’s partial to the brand’s Skin line, an array of lightweight offerings with ultra-thin dials that come in at just 4.30 millimeters. She says the materials and fun pops of color fill a niche for people like her, who spend their lives being active and don’t want the burden of a luxury watch. “With Swatch, you have a world of choice,” she says. “That's the beauty of the brand—you're not tied to one style or one color, and I love that.”

Beyond her watches, Ho approaches surfing in style. She says that because of her profession, which takes her back and forth between the ocean and shore multiple times a day, she’s learned to be versatile when it comes to fashion. “It's like you really need to check all the boxes,” she says. “I'm like that with my apparel, with my sandals, with my swim—everything to me has to be the most versatile ever, and that doesn't skip past my watch design either.”

It’s that adaptability in her personal style that she feels is aligned with Swatch and, therefore, translates to her approach to watches. “There is a huge freedom to wear a Swatch,” she says. “You can grow with the brand and switch styles. There’s no judgment in all those moods and changes."

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