Sharing some images from her last race, Kennelly added a long heartfelt caption to her post. Unexpected. [9] In 2023, she was one of the first women to compete in The Eddie. "But it's not really the award you want to win when you set out at the beginning of the season.". Aaradhana Singh is a US Sports writer for EssentiallySports. WSL is best experienced with Javascript! The Big Wave World Champion and Former Championship Tour Surfer also dives deep on the importance of women's events at waves of consequence. KK: Hard to say because my son is not born yet, but even now I feel like I have so much to live for. In her acceptance speech, Kennelly spoke movingly about her long road to a world title as an openly gay athlete. This included a 2nd-place finish at the Billabong Pro Maui, a team gold medal at the 2007 Summer X Games, and a record-setting ride in 2005 as the first-ever woman to tow in at Teahupoo. The wave pounded me and just ripped my leg so hard I thought it was gonna get pulled out of my hip joint. I was just doing it purely out of passion. I think in life in general when you get knocked down its important to dust yourself off and try again in order to get your confidence back. Three days later while riding in a memorial heat for Andy Irons during the Billabong Pro Men's WCT, Kennelly suffered a massive facial injury. Afterward, Keala shared the graphic picture with fans, showing a gash on her upper cheek that extended nearly to the bone. lifeguard swooped into the tournament during his break, A Huge Shock for Surfing Fans Before Vans Pipeline From Kelly Slater and John John Florence. 2021 Women's Biggest Paddle Nominee: Keala Kennelly at Himalayas on December 2, 2020. Jason Hahn is a Human Interest and Sports Reporter for PEOPLE. It is the second year in a row she won. CS: Where does your fire and determination come from? I had lost a bunch of sponsors at that point, so I decided instead of going back on tour, just chase my passion for surfing big waves. By signing up you agree to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. Talking about her final event in the caption, the 44-year-old wrote, Being able to participate in the @theeddieaikau invitational was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Kennelly: They were like, "We love that you're open about this, we love what you stand for, we love what you're all about and we want to support you." As tempted as I might be to honor Andy by including his name when I name my son I feel like that name belongs to Andys son and Andys son alone. In 2016, a women's division was added to the Mavericks contest, though unsurfable conditions led to its postponement. CS: What are the most important values you want to teach your son? This one seemed like a very typical wipeout, and I was completely shocked when I saw the amount of damage that was done. And so, I went out and started surfing these waves that previously, people's perception was like, "Women just can't surf these waves, women can't surf big waves.". The way I get my confidence back when I feel like that is by doing something amazing again. Or does this just make you want to charge harder after surviving it? After finishing 2nd in the world on the WQS Tour in 1997, she was accepted to the World Championship Tour and quickly began earning victories at some of the tour's biggest events. It was a pretty regular looking wave. Then I had a few sponsors drop me and so, that was just more confirmation that it wasn't okay. Well, my mom lay down for a little nap and as soon as she dozed off, I broke into my dads surfboard stash, grabbed a board, walked down to the beach and paddled out. My god father is Laird Hamilton, and Kala Alexander is like an uncle to me. Out of the 40 surfers set to compete, six are women. The following year saw a landmark event for women surfers. My approach to big wave surfing has been evolving from the time I was a reckless, hot-headed teenager that would throw myself over just about any ledge to prove a point. Photo: "It threw me straight into the reef before I even realized what happened." PEOPLE: After doing that, did you feel the surfing community eventually embraced you? Late last week, Kennelly officially claimed the Womens Big Wave World Title for her incredible performance at the 2018 Jaws Challenge in Maui. LOG IN | Not a Premium Member? By: Matt Lorelli, The Great Salt Lake is dying. Thank God for Andy and Bruce Irons. KK: Well let me just tell you my son is going to have a lot of respect for women. She is 5'6'' tall. Instead, the person lying on the operating table is a much younger version of herself, terrified, utterly alone, and about to die. PEOPLE: From what you know about surf culture today, have things changed for the better? 4. Keala Kennelly Pushes Her Son Into His First Wave 5,648 views Dec 8, 2014 22 Dislike Share Save 533DZ Foundation 167 subscribers Keala Kennelly comes home to family on Kauai and pushes. CS: Where does your fire and determination come from? I had to make some adjustments and then saw that the next section was going to throw, so I bottom-turned and parked it in the barrel. PEOPLE: And one of the companies sponsoring you today is Flex. "The board hit me in the shin, it flipped again and hit me in the ribs and then it flipped again and hit me in the face.". Keala Kennelly air dropped to the bottom of a 40-foot bomb, losing her feet halfway down and disappearing into the abyss. So, I think the surfing community, they weren't totally accepting of LGBT people at the time but I think that they respected me for living my truth, speaking, being open, being brave enough to just be authentic. And that was just so different than anything I'd previously experienced in the surfing industry. Please login below or register here if you are not yet a member. Some of her famous releases are the albums PCD (2005) and Doll Domination (2008). As for Andy he is always with me. In a spaceship. Has it crossed your mind, at any time during this experience, that taking these risks is not worth it? KK: Now I have seen the sequence shot of the wave and have been able to analyze it a bit and here is what I have deduced-. The 43-year-old former Big Wave World Champion is bouncing back after going through a major wipeout during a World Surf League event in Hawaii two years ago. Hefty Grizzly Tracks Elk Carcass From 3 Miles Away (Incredible), WATCH: Jesper Tjder Takes On World Championship Slopestyle Course, Palisades Tahoe Was Closed Today Due To Too Much Snow, Bretton Woods Trip Report: A Sleeper Powder Day, A New Tahoe Ski Resort Sierra at Tahoe Review After The Caldor (From Local Freshies), Big Bear Squeezes Into Tiny Tub (Hilarious Video). CS: I recently met a gentleman who had a daughter that he named after you because of your courage and strength. I know it's terrifying, and you're so scared about what people's reactions are going to be or how your life is going to change, but I can honestly say, it's one of the best things I ever did for myself. The deep, pulsating beat beneath the melody that keeps the tempo; the feeling of a heart beat pushing through a cacophony of noise. One of the biggest tournaments in the big-wave surfing community, the Eddie Aikau Big-Wave Invitational, took place on 22nd January 2023. [3], After leaving the World Championship Tour in 2007 to pursue acting, Kennelly returned to surfing as a professional freesurfer. So she toughed it out. Im not scared to say, 'This is what I stand for. I want to show that surfing can be a welcoming space for LGBTQ+ athletes.. The series includes surfing sequences by well-respected surfers such as Brock Little, Keala Kennelly, Dan Malloy, John-John Florence, Shane Beschen, and Herbie Fletcher. CS: What are the most important values you want to teach your son? DJ Keala Kennedy performs at the GBK Pre-ESPY Event at Luxe On Rodeo Drive on July 11, 2017 in Beverly Hills. One of surfing's most graphic injuries came from a day at Teahupoo that didn't . (view on map). PEOPLE: What were you feeling at the time? Maintaining a 3.5 through the mayhem also meant she could surf as much as she liked. KK: Well let me just tell you my son is going to have a lot of respect for women. KK: Hard to say because my son is not born yet, but even now I feel like I have so much to live for. It was no easy road, especially since she had to raise herself as a boy. The best universities in the U.S. for scoring waves while getting your degree. Its day seven for hospital workers on strike on Maui and Lanai. It does cross my mind that the risks I take in big waves are not worth it. CS: I think this scar may officially be your greatest Badge of Courage. As for Andy he is always with me. https://ftw.usatoday.com/2019/04/keala-kennelly-big-wave-world-title, 2023 NFL mock draft: Shaking up the top 6 with trades (and a Chicago Bears haul), The latest 2023 NFL mock draft from Mel Kiper Jr. has so many top-10 trades, 1 side-by-side MLB video should convince you the pitch clock is the best, Max Scherzers innovative way to use the MLB pitch clock is horrible news for hitters, Predicting where the NFL's top 21 free agents will wind up in 2023, Sister Jean surprisingly picked a non-Chicago team to win the NCAA Mens National title, Stunning video shows huge hammerhead shark racing to catch stingrays, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. It was pretty much all Brian Kennelly had. Later that same year (2016) she was nominated for an ESPY Award.[16]. He previously worked for Complex Magazine in New York City. Photo: The next photo in this sequence is extremely graphic. One of them was Hawaiian waterwoman Keala Kennelly, who's blazed more trails, caught more grief, endured more beatings, tolerated more politics, and done more than any other person this century. Shes won contests at Teahupoo. One such surfer is Keala Kennelly, who marked the end of her professional surfing career with this tournament. Andy and Bruce Irons were like my brothers growing up, so I had a lot to prove in order to impress those guys. Kennelly, the first openly gay surfer to win a world surfing title, speaks with PEOPLE about that time in her life and if she believes things have changed in the years since. They fought for equal pay in surfing. [8], She was invited to the 2018-2019 The Eddie, which was cancelled when waves that met the tournament criteria failed to arrive. Keala Kennelly Keala Kennelly Search for: Surfing DJing Acting Bio Contact Copyright Keala Kennelly Theme By SiteOrigin Surfing, like almost every other sport, lacks visible, openly gay, competitors and Kennellys words are a powerful reminder of challenges LGBTQ athletes still face. The wipeout was so forceful that the board practically "ripped [her leg] out of the hip socket," she says. This is what pushing your limits looks like, it isnt always pretty but the ones that Ive had in my career where I went #fullsend and was successful were incredible , Kennelly added. Not being in my son's life as much as I would like to be has been one of the most painful sacrifices I have had to make for the sport that I love." . As unlucky as I was to collide with the reef face first, all things considered I am pretty lucky. I thought I was coming out, but the lip just clipped me in the head and threw me straight into the reef before I even realized what happened. Keala Kennelly was born on August 13, 1978 in Kauai, Hawaii, USA. Well, my mom lay down for a little nap and as soon as she dozed off, I broke into my dads surfboard stash, grabbed a board, walked down to the beach and paddled out. KK: This could be the worst wipeout of my life but it didnt feel that way when it was happening. I am an only girl with two brothers, a total daddys girl. In an industry where a strong sense of self and a unique self-expression can be a detriment, she is proving that the opposite can also be true. KK: I remember a time when I must have been about seven or eight years old. Subscribe to I was living this double life because on tour, I was pretending to be straight. A post shared by Keala Kennelly . She continues to DJ and compete as a big wave surfer. HBO: JFC Cast & Crew: Keala Kennelly Surfer Mag: Keala Kennelly-The Naked Truth IMDB: Keala Kennelly Some emotional fans reminisced about moments from her decorated career in the comments section. Kennelly maintained a spot in the top 10 of the ASP rankings through 2007, with numerous top finishes and groundbreaking female performances. All rights reserved. I left the tour because, emotionally and mentally, I just couldn't handle it but I also got this really amazing opportunity to go do acting on an HBO TV series (2007's John from Cincinnati) for a year. Kennelly is a professional surfer who has appeared as herself in several films, including Blue Crush and Side Slip. Despite feeling a lack of confidence because of not being able to surf up to my level post injuries and surgery, I sucked it up and gave it my all #fullsend., Very Few Are Mentioning Kelly: New Age Surfers Spark Intense Debate About Next Kennelly: It makes me really happy that athletes are not having a struggle as I did. In a very real sense, this could have been, quite literally, The End of the Road, had the incident at Teahupoo played out differently. CS: Is this your worst surf-related injury? Winners of the first-ever Red Bull Magnitude have been announced and it's Keala Kennelly taking out the women's big wave event. Kennelly was an alternate to participate in the 2016 edition, but 2023 marked the first bonafide lineup of women surfers. Australia's Laura Enever was named as one . And yet I see and feel and love exactly the same things you assholes do. I think in life in general when you get knocked down its important to dust yourself off and try again in order to get your confidence back. The following excerpt is from Matt Georges Surfer magazine profile of Keala Kennelly. COURTESY RED BULL. HOME Surfline Home Recent News BILLABONG PRO TAHITI:. When Keala Kennelly (43) began to surf professionally at the age of 17, she was one of the few female surfers to make a mark in big-wave surfing. Keala Kennelly spills the beans on her role in HBO's <i>John from Cincinnati</i> Registeredor Premium Member? [5], In 2011, Kennelly chased one of the biggest swells to ever hit Teahupoo. As a founding member of the Committee for Equity in Womens Surfing, shes been one of the driving forces behind the World Surf Leagues new equal prize money policy. It was a scary one because it was a head injury, so close to my eye and so deep (to the bone). Almost drowned a few times. She has to. Dating & Relationship status She is currently single. Photo: Joli. Time If womens shortboarding were a song, Keala Kennelly would be the baseline. How to do a Frontside Cutback With Josh Kerr, 10 Things You Should Take on Your Next Surf Road Trip, 6 Female-Founded Surfwear Brands We Tested This Summer, Jon Wayne Freeman "Charges" The Wedge, Seeks Sponsorship Deal. Heres What You Need, Six Exercises to Improve Your Surfing Today. The doctors were very concerned that I had cracked my skull, cheekbone or that I had injured my neck, so I was pretty stressed until the CT Scan results came back all good. With absolutely no help from you. I am a professional surfer, DJ, and Actor. And every so often, the dragon catches up to you. That may have thrown me off and made me have to draw a higher line than I would have liked. The 43-year-old former Big Wave World Champion is bouncing back after going through a major wipeout during a World Surf League event in Hawaii two years ago. In 2011, during a World Tour event in Tahiti, Kennelly paddled out at small Teahupoo for an exhibition heat. 2021 Women's Ride Of The Year Kennelly Keala at Himalayas on December 2, 2020. As tempted as I might be to honor Andy by including his name when I name my son I feel like that name belongs to Andys son and Andys son alone. chicago fire department test 2022 dates, world record longest time wearing a hat, Surfing career with this tournament doing that, did you feel the surfing community, the Eddie father is Hamilton... Father is Laird Hamilton, and Kala Alexander is like an uncle to me s most graphic injuries came a. 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