In the late '70s, when McNamara was 11 years old, his family moved again, this time to the Aloha state (via Surfer Today). Growing up there, he was introduced to Hawaii's surfing culture and got his first surfboard. At some point he came upon a surfboard by chance. He eventually decided to give the board a go at a nearby beach and took it to sea. Soon, surfing became his constant hobby. This was the start of his love for the water sport.
At the time McNamara and his brother Liam were being raised by their mother and stepfather. But after the couple split, McNamara said his mother struggled to make ends meet and they were left poor. He told a Boston radio show in 2017 that his mother ended up seeking government assistance, and his childhood diet mostly consisted of cereal and macaroni as a result (via Boston NPR). Despite these humble beginnings, McNamara made the most of his Hawaii residency. In California he skateboarded, but in Hawaii, surfing was the norm.
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