Through the Doggy Door: Mason Ho and Sheldon Paishon
Hawaii isn’t always good vibes riding off into sunsets and toasting Pau Hana beers. Mason Ho’s best friend Sheldon Paishon grew up homeless from the time he was 12 years old on Oahu’s Westside — a place that gave us Sunny Garcia, Melanie Bartels, Dustin Cuizon and tons of legendary Hawaiians. But it’s no picnic.
Sheldon experienced a much different side to paradise than most of us would care to imagine. He shares his story in the new film by Alani Media Through the Doggy Door. Spearheaded by Mason Ho and the Alani brothers, the documentary takes us on a wild ride as the talented young Sheldon Paishon never gives up on his dreams of becoming a professional surfer, even when all the cards are stacked against him.
With the help of a few great friends and mentors, Sheldon managed to fight his way through the doggy door to earn a seat at the table with the big dogs.
A rare surf film that tells a hard-luck story that comes along with world class surfing. Well done Alani gang, and congrats on the film Sheldon and Mason, this film is something to be proud of.
photo by: @lew_ch
The boys were touring the movie around Hawaii where I got to watch it on the big screen at the Wailua Sugar Mill on the North Shore. It was a packed house. Standing room only! The crowd laughed and even wept through the emotional rollercoaster that is Sheldon’s story.
Sheldon and Mason are in Tahiti for the final event in the Hawaii region that could see Sheldon qualify for the WSL Challenger Series. He’s a former winner of the event, so we’re hoping to see him do well and get one step closer to his ultimate dream of qualifying for the CT. We caught up with Sheldon and Mason after their box office blockbuster showing on Oahu a while back.
INHERENT BUMMER: When did you guys get the idea for the film?
MASON: I grew up with Sheldon and always dreamed of getting him out. I would only surf with him here in the islands. Either when I would go west I would see him, or if he'd come to the North Shore I would see him. He was actually my favorite little surf partner since I was a little kid.
As I started traveling more he would always tell me, “oh, I saw your last trip in Indonesia. I just can't wait one day I'll be there with you, and I love watching you.” I’d tell him, “Bah, we're gonna go together and you're gonna rip that place. You're gonna love Indonesia, I know you're gonna love it.”
So in 2017 he raised all this money and paid for himself to go to Indo and I just kind of facilitated it and while we were on the trip, I had this weird idea as I saw the way he was acting and surfing. I was like, fuck, this is a movie itself! Just him getting here and how focused he is. He literally thinks he made it as a professional surfer already. Up to that point I don’t think Sheldon had even been to California.
SHELDON: Yeah, I had never been to Cali yet. But every time I would surf with Mase, I would just be like, bro, I gotta get with you on one of these trips. Mase is like, bro, for sure we're gonna go one day. Just save up money and somehow it all worked out.
As far as the movie, Mason kind of surprised me, so I’m not too sure about when we got the idea. <laughs> He pitched some things to me, but he didn't really tell me what was gonna happen.
MASON: On the Indo trip I was like, whoa, this could be something more than just me and my friends surfing in Indonesia. I'm not like really good at storytelling though, I'm more like a surf story guy. So when I got home I was watching the footage with Joe Alani and we started imagining a story telling Sheldon's deal. If you know Sheldon, you know he's so open. He'd probably just fucking tell this part and that part and tell these parts that would blow people's minds. I thought, I'm gonna just film Sheldon every day and I'm gonna try my hardest to get him sponsored cuz I know he's gonna be stoked. Sheldon didn't know I was doing this yet, but after that Indo trip really wanted to get him sponsored.
At first Rip Curl were kinda like, wait, are you serious? And I was like, yeah I'm gonna get him sponsored. Then it slowly turned into something serious.
SHELDON: Hey Reef, if you still want to sponsor me, let us know <laughs>.
MASON: Over time we had all this footage and I'd show Rip Curl and then Sheldon would win a contest and then they'd be like, “whoa, is this the kid you're talking about?” I'm like, “yeah dude, it's for real. And that's now a scene of the movie. Do you wanna be a part of the movie? Let's do this, cuz maybe Quiksilver might get him!” I was talking to anyone I could, you know, and we only wanted a few shirts and shorts at first because I knew Sheldon would appreciate anything. Then it slowly grew into what it is now. <laughs>.
INHERENT BUMMER: Wow, that’s unreal! Sheldon, what would you say is your favorite part of the movie?
SHELDON: It’s hard to pick just one, but a couple of my favorite parts are probably when I get sponsored and traveling the world with Mason, me winning my first professional contest. That's kind of one of the sickest parts of the movie I feel like. <laugh>
MASON: Which one do you like better though? You winning the contest or are you getting sponsored at the end?
SHELDON: Um, me getting sponsored is for sure the best part of the movie, like hands down.
MASON: But is it your favorite?
SHELDON: I mean, my favorite is probably <laugh> getting sponsored, but winning the contest is like my favorite part of the movie. And surfing around the world with you Mase. Like going to Slater's Wave pool. Going to Indo, that flurry in Brazil.
MASON: I didn't know that. I think my favorite part of the whole movie is when Joe asks you, what kind of promotional events are you ready to do? And you just go, what the fuck are those? <laughs>
Then when Joe tells you you're like, oh, that too, bro. I've been literally dreaming of that my whole life.
INHERENT BUMMER: Sheldon, what's something you hope people take away from hearing your story?
SHELDON: Just to following your dreams. Surround yourself with the right people. Never give up. Surf as hard as you can. Try not to drink too much alcohol <laugh> and just be an all around good person. That's what I feel like I can say to encourage kids and people around me.
INHERENT BUMMER: When's the last time you caught a baby goat?
SHELDON: Oh, <laugh>. I think about 15 years ago. I was stuck on the cliffs and there's like a bunch of houses right next to the mountain and I'm screaming for my mom. Then I remember that my friend Nalu Forset lives right there and I started screaming his name and his brother goes bro, I swear the goats are calling your name right now. And he's like, what? And they started listening and he could hear me screaming Nalu! Nalu! <laughs>. He came out of his house running as fast as he could up to the edge of the mountain. He was pointing, telling me which way to go. Yeah, that was the last time. Heavy, heavy. I almost died. <laugh>, <laugh> I zigzagged all the way down and pulled it and got out of there before the helicopters and fire department came. Good thing too so I didn't have to pay nothing. Dad was snapping and crying though. <laughs>
INHERENT BUMMER: What would you say has been the biggest change since you got sponsored?
SHELDON: I’d say my surfing got better when I got to ride …lost boards. My surfing started actually getting good.
MASON: Your surfing notched up a level as soon as you were staring at that sticker on your nose I thought.
SHELDON: I thought that too. Cuz I always would tell Mason, ah, I need a sticker on my nose one day. That's all I would talk about <laugh>.
MASON: Before he had a sticker on the nose, this guy would point at the nose of his board after every air reverse he'd do, and ask “where is it?” <laugh>
SHELDON: I just was like, look I'm fucking stomping these things. Like where's that sticker bro? <laugh>
MASON: He would be telling me all the time and at night I’d be trying to hustle all my heart out for him. And then the next days I’d see him and he'd just be like, ah, you should call some guys for me. And I'd just be trying to bite my tongue, just dying to tell him. Like dude, you don't even know how hard I've been going in the paint for you. Stop rousting me and everyone I know.
But I tried to play dumb, like yeah, yeah…You know, it's tough out there. You're already older, you know. And he'd be like, fuck that. I'm just starting. So he was super funny. But I noticed once he had the sticker on his board his surfing like formed out and he got even more gnarly.
INHERENT BUMMER: Sheldon, what's the next thing that you’re focusing on?
SHELDON: Right now my next thing is making this challenger series so I can make sure Rip Curl is stoked. I’d like to keep them on board and try to get on tour. My main dream since I was a little kid is to be a real champion. It felt like it was just a fantasy but now I'm kind of knocking at the door. I have an opportunity to actually get there if I do good in this contest and hopefully Rip Curl will back me when I get on the challengers. So the next step is Tahiti. That's where I won and Mason won too. So we're pretty comfortable there.
MASON: If it ended right now, Sheldon would be in the challengers, but there is this last event at Rangiroa which is super cool for us because it's a barreling spot where Sheldon and I have both won before. That's the part in the movie where he won. So if he goes over there and just kind of does okay or wins he's in the Challengers, so that's one step closer to the ultimate goal, you know?
INHERENT BUMMER: Mason, are you gonna be going to Rangiroa with him?
MASON: Yeah, I definitely want to go over there and just help him out because I think I'm way out of it. Sheldon and I did all the same events this year, but, Sheldon did really good and I dropped the ball in a few and had to sit back and watch him go through and keep making heats. It's been super cool though. I want him on the tour and I want him to win the title like he's always wanted. So yeah, if I can go over there and help him out it would be rad.
INHERENT BUMMER: Well boys, we’ll be rooting for you. Psyched to watch the event this week!
SHELDON: I’m at Makaha looking at the same mountain that I almost died on talking to you guys right now. It's pretty sick. <laugh>.
