Who is Maika Monroe?
Born Dillon Monroe Buckley on 29 May 1993 in Santa Barbara, California, she later adopted the name Maika, by which she had long been known. Her mother worked as a sign-language interpreter; her father, Jack Monroe, was in construction.
Monroe is best known for her acting work, especially in the horror/thriller space: It Follows (2014) turned her into a modern “scream queen.” But before the red carpets and scripts, she had (what one might term) a first “career” in kiteboarding—an extreme water sport combining wind, waves, and aerial tricks.
It was in that life, under sun and salt, that Monroe honed much of her discipline, fear-management, and physical daring.
So, here are seven little-known (or underemphasised) facts from that athletic chapter, offering a more textured view of Maika Monroe’s kiteboarding and who she was before Hollywood.
7 Little-Known Facts About Maika Monroe’s Pro Kiteboarding Career
1. She started kiteboarding at 13, with her father pushing the kite
Monroe learned to “fly the kite” under the tutelage of her father, Jack. According to one profile, her first breathless moment was standing up on the water for thirty seconds, feeling that wild rush. That early sense of momentum, control, and fallibility would later become apt metaphors for her acting life.
2. She left high school in her senior year to pursue it full-time
In January 2011, Monroe departed Santa Barbara High in the middle of her senior year. She completed her diploma online, moved to Cabarete (Dominican Republic) with her mother, and dove fully into training in what’s widely regarded as one of the world’s kiteboarding meccas. The trade-off: stability and a “normal” final school year, in exchange for the chance at athletic risk.
3. She was a ranked competitive kiteboarder, not just a hobbyist
By the time she was pivoting toward acting, Monroe was already in competitive mode. One notable result: in 2013, she finished 2nd at the International Red Bull Big Air competition in the Dominican Republic.
4. Acting and kiteboarding overlapped—she didn’t “quit cold turkey.”
Even as she began booking acting roles, kiteboarding remained part of her identity and routine. She made lists of pros and cons; she considered what she might lose or gain. Eventually, the heart leaned toward acting.
5. The “no kiteboarding during filming” rule
Her first major film gig, At Any Price (2012), demanded strict discipline. Once filming began, she could not kite, travel, or train with the same freedom. In her own recollection, the director balked at her sun-bronzed appearance (“you’re very tan, you’re very blond”), but she persisted—and abstained from her athletic life insofar as the film demanded
6. The endurance, fear management, and focus carried over to acting
It’s tempting to think of acting and kiteboarding as entirely separate forms, but Monroe herself often draws connections between them. The rigorous mental training of approaching a gusty sea, riding a wild wind, chasing air time—these translate to sustaining emotional arcs, physical stunt work, and navigating audition stress. In interviews, she notes that the stormy unpredictability of both worlds resonates with her.
7. She never fully abandoned it—even as a Hollywood star
Even today, Monroe finds solace in the sport. She occasionally kiteboards during downtime to reset after the rigours of film sets. She’s spoken of needing those moments of salt, wind, reckoning. The athletic life never fully recedes.
Conclusion
So yes, before the horror-flick screams and red-carpet flashes, Maika Monroe was out there chasing wind.
That early version of her — bruised, sun-burnt, and stubborn built the spine she’d later bring to the camera. And, in a way, she never really stopped flying – she just swapped a kite for the screen!
