US Olympian Kolohe Andino narrowly escapes death in Gold Coast Towering Inferno

"Woke up with a girl screaming 'Where are you going' so desperately that our hearts were racing then we saw the fire reflecting the other building."

It’s been several months since the scion of big-dicked Dino Andino, former tour firebrand Kolohe Andino, has appeared on these hallowed pages.

Back then, it was for a profanity laden screed against the surfing industry.

“Surfing culture, big time surf brands and the ‘surf lifestyle’ are FUCKING dead,” wrote the thirty-year-old Daddy of two. “You got every FUCKING up and coming kid thinking they are one of the Paul brothers. Trying to gain cloud in any way, shape or form, with no gumption, no backbone, or no idea. These kids are not leaders, they are followers.”

Today, it’s for surviving a wild towering inferno at Rainbow Bay on Queensland’s Gold Coast, where Kolohe was staying for the World Club Championships, where San Clemente finished second, and which concluded in a crossfire of accusations of sexism and woman-hating etc.

“Shit got real. We are grateful and blessed to be back on our feet again,” Kolohe posted on Instagram, prompting an outpouring of love and shock from surfing’s heavy-hitters, including Mick Fanning, Kai Lenny, Israel’s Eithan Osborne, John John Florence’s wife Lauryn, Matt Biolos etc.

“We are in Teed Terrace St Street, you & woke up with a girl screaming “where are you going” so desperately that our hearts were racing then we saw the fire reflecting the other building. We were praying for u & all the resident. So glad you were all saved,” wrote on fan.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kolohe Andino (@koloheandino)

Apart from not reaching the stellar heights that were predicted for him as a teenager, Kolohe Andino will be remembered for helping get the Surf Ranch Pro onto the tour.

“After watching footage, Kolohe Andino goes, ‘Why isn’t this on tour…well think about it!’” remembered Slater in his excellent documentary series Lost Tapes. “That’s when the conversation became real.”

Ironically, Kolohe’s initial enthusiasm turned to sad when the contest did manifest, Kolohe accusing the judges of “playing mind tricks” and rewarding safety surfing and sitting in a barrel that carried with no risk.

BeachGrit has always held Kolohe Andino close to our hearts. I knew his daddy Dino during his wild nineties epoch and first met the boy prodigy, then sixteen, on a holiday to the Canary Islands where he exhibited what were then exotic flavours of aerials.