Building a new studio could help the industry double those revenues, Mayor Blangiardi said, Keala Kennelly on women making a historic splash at the Eddie this year. On 25th January 2023, Keala Kennelly shared the news of her retirement from the professional surfing world. Keala Kennelly Keala Kennelly Search for: Surfing DJing Acting Bio Contact Copyright Keala Kennelly Theme By SiteOrigin Keala hasnt been the subject of any controversies or rumors concerning her love life, since she has been away from the limelight. Despite the harassment, the committee succeeded. Keala Kennelly; Makani Adric; and Paige Alms. Kennelly is a professional surfer who has appeared as herself in several films, including Blue Crush and Side Slip. CS: I recently met a gentleman who had a daughter that he named after you because of your courage and strength. It made me wonder about your close connection to Andy and I wondered if you had any thoughts of including his name (or middle name, if he has one) in the name you choose for your son? 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. This one seemed like a very typical wipeout, and I was completely shocked when I saw the amount of damage that was done. So, it's really nice to see that attitude change. All rights reserved. This was the first year women competed in the Eddie. Not too many people can say that. [2], 2003 was a breakout year for Kennelly as she peaked at number 1 in the WCT rankings before ending the year ranked as the 2nd best female surfer in the world. After spending a decade ranked in the top 10 on the ASP World Championship Tour , Kennelly took a break from the tour in 2007 to explore her passions for acting and music, including a recurring role as a surfer in the 2007 series John from Cincinnati. Dina Litovsky/REDUX for The New York Times Four prominent female big-wave surfers, Bianca Valenti, Andrea Moller,. In doing so, she says, she faced a wave of homophobia from companies and other surfers that eventually led her to leave the sport before returning to leave her mark on it forever. Announced as the winner of the barrel of the year award, the 37-year-old surfer Keala Kennelly whipped her arms around actor girlfriend Nikki DiSanto and drank her kisses with gusto. The following year saw a landmark event for women surfers. Shes ridden deep at Pipeline, just like youbetter than you. Diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication, Aaradhana has previously worked as Andrea Moller, Keala Kennelly, Justine Dupont, Emily Erickson, Makani Adric and Paige Alms were the six women who competed alongside 34 male invitees. Subscribe to SURFERs Newsletter to receive stories like this straight to your inbox. Hurricane Iniki, September 1992. One such surfer is Keala Kennelly, who marked the end of her professional surfing career with this tournament. Unexpected. Photo: The next photo in this sequence is extremely graphic. Honesty, integrity, bravery, kindness, compassion for others, pride in who he is, and above all to treat others the way he wants to be treated. Period. So, it's worth it. send. In 2011, during a World Tour event in Tahiti, Kennelly paddled out at small Teahupoo for an exhibition heat. Keala Kennelly (b. Jason Hahn is a Human Interest and Sports Reporter for PEOPLE. View Gallery. Her various top finishes won Kennelly the year's coveted Triple Crown of Surfing. Please check your email for a confirmation. 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. New Chairlift At Quebec . Or does this just make you want to charge harder after surviving it? PEOPLE: What drew you to big wave surfing? "[17], Learn how and when to remove this template message, "2002 Results: Kennelly Defeats Beachley In Teahupoo Final", http://www.surfersvillage.com/surfing-news/7910#.UehrN1NQ2sM, http://www.surfersvillage.com/surfing-news.php?id=16579#.UehxCFNQ2sM, "Keala Kennelly Wins 2010 Nelscott Reef Big Wave Event in Lincoln City Oregon", "Keala Kennelly Wins Billabong XXL Girls Performance Award! I traveled for a bit, had to negotiate the foam-ball. Has it crossed your mind, at any time during this experience, that taking these risks is not worth it? Why is it important to get back up and keep charging? /PRNewswire/ -- Keala Kennelly has redefined women's surfing. Honesty, integrity, bravery, kindness, compassion for others, pride in who he is, and above all to treat others the way he wants to be treated. Do you have any idea how Keala Kennelly grew up? Moller and. 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. The following is an interview with Keala along with the sequence of the wave that dry-docked her on Teahupoos reef: CS: In many peoples opinion, including my own, you are the hardest charging female surfer ever. Over and over he told me I couldnt go that day because it was too big for me. This year's event marked the first time women competed in The Eddie's 39-year history, catching monster waves that exceeded 50-foot at Waimea Bay. Make sure to enable it in your browser. He previously worked for Complex Magazine in New York City. Don't say we didn't warn you. When my dad looked up and saw me coming around the corner smiling his eyes got big like saucers. The wipeout was so forceful that the board practically "ripped [her leg] out of the hip socket," she says. Out of the 40 surfers set to compete, six are women. I think I was bleeding before my brain even processed I wasnt coming out of the barrel. KK: When Andys wife Lyndie named Andys son Andy Axel Irons I thought that was perfect. She shares a variety of her . KK: Glad it didnt play out like that. Chasing a big swell, getting a big barrel, out-doing my personal best, then I am good for a little while. Ive had scary two wave hold-downs that make you think its all over. I took off and it kind of had a bit of bump that kept me from pulling into the barrel straight away." Has it crossed your mind, at any time during this experience, that taking these risks is not worth it? That opened the floodgate for the local titta girls and then came that defining moment against the big Samoan transvestite; Keala never lost a fight. Kennelly began a string of successful visits to Teahupoo, Tahiti in 1998 when she won the Gotcha Black Pearl Women's Pro. E.g. Keala came home from school one day and there was a "Dear John" letter for her on the bed. The Judges overseeing this case are GEORGINA T. RIZK and YOLANDA OROZCO. So when I got on the tour, I was so freaking nervous because I inherently knew I was gay. Its no surprise that Keala is also a DJ, a mixologist of sound, finding the right beats to marry for dancing crowds. 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. Maintaining a 3.5 through the mayhem also meant she could surf as much as she liked. My name is Keala Kennelly and this is my website. Keala got teased a lot for that. Keala charges so hard, shes been so inspiring to me since I was just a little grom! I was just doing it purely out of passion. (For the record, we have no worries whatsoever that this photo . I was to stay home with my mom. CS: What are the most important values you want to teach your son? There were all these cautionary tales of, "You can't be a lesbian, it's career suicide.". That and for being a white, blond chick growing up on Kauai. Maui County hospital workers on strike enter week 2, negotiations set for Monday, Hawaii News Now - Meteorologist Jen Robbins, Couple killed in house fire remembered as high school sweethearts enjoying their golden years, Lawmakers debate funding demands for safety net hospitals as one facility issues stark warning, Mayor throws his weight behind big tax break for company proposing film studio on Oahu, 'The Other Side of Paradise' with Lynn Kawano, KHNLPUBLICFILE@HAWAIINEWSNOW.COM (808) 847-3246, KGMBPUBLICFILE@HAWAIINEWSNOW.COM (808) 847-3246, KFVEPUBLICFILE@HAWAIINEWSNOW.COM (808) 847-3246, KSIXPUBLICFILE@HAWAIINEWSNOW.COM (808) 847-3246, KOGGPUBLICFILE@HAWAIINEWSNOW.COM (808) 847-3246. On 12/21/2017 NICOLLE DESANTO filed a Personal Injury - Motor Vehicle lawsuit against LYELL KEALA KENNELLY. It is the second year in a row she won. And on stage, Keala delivered a speech that could form a text for all those girls who live to confirm to the male ideal. She has played internationally at venues in Australia, France, South Africa, England, and Spain as well as domestically in Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, and San Diego. Keala Kennelly Puts Her Son On His First Wave.So Cool, 3 Generations Of Surfers In The Water . 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. CS: I think this scar may officially be your greatest Badge of Courage. How do you stoke this feeling if/when it subsides? As winter approaches, the ladies of big wave surfing . [9] In 2023, she was one of the first women to compete in The Eddie. pin. The holder of a 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. [10], Kennelly's accomplishments have garnered her numerous accolades, including being named the 2002 Female Surfer of the Year by ESPN and more recently, the 2011[5] and 2013 Billabong XXL Girls Performance Award,[11] and the 2014 Billabong XXL Womens Performance Award. I think I was bleeding before my brain even processed I wasnt coming out of the barrel. During that infamous 'Code Red' swell,[6] she displayed the best barrel-riding by a female at Teahupoo. Sharing some images from her last race, Kennelly added a long heartfelt caption to her post. "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.". I have taken much heavier wipeouts that have torn ligaments and kept me out of the water for months. 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. 1978) plays Kai in John From Cincinnati. sms. Keala Kennelly Professional Surfer. Keala Kennelly Puts Her Son On His First Wave.So Cool, 3 Generations Of Surfers In The Water. 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.". Some people are just not going to be accepting, not going to agree with you, but if you're living your truth, people will respect you. [5], In 2011, Kennelly chased one of the biggest swells to ever hit Teahupoo. I doubt that I am any good at surfing, I doubt that people respect me or my surfing and I doubt that I will ever do anything amazing in surfing again (Andy and I were very alike in this way). There are six women nominated for the prestigious Performer of the Year award at the 2021 Red Bull Big Wave Awards, here's their stories. My god father is Laird Hamilton, and Kala Alexander is like an uncle to me. Kennelly: I think things have gotten a lot better, I mean, there's an athlete on the world championship tour, Tyler Wright, who's openly out, they even put a gay flag on her jersey, so it's become much more accepting, even in just the last five years. The five questions to ask yourself in order to tackle the fin equation, according Tip-time with master tipster Justin Quintal, A how-to for wetsuit maintenance, because rinsing alone just isn't enough. [14] This award made her the first woman to win at the Big Wave Awards in any open-gender category. PEOPLE: You came out as a lesbian in the surfing community nearly two decades ago, can you tell us what that experience was like for you? The Gotcha Black Pearl women 's Pro its no surprise that Keala is also a DJ, a of. With this tournament shes been so inspiring to me since I was just a little!... Of surfing just make you want to charge harder after surviving it a bit, had to negotiate the.... 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