That was part of the reason why I left the tour and didn't go back to it. I had to close myself off in order to protect myself, which goes against my nature because Im generally a very open person. Over the course of my life and career, Ive had a lot of people tell me what I can and cant do because Im a woman. Besides these two acting roles, she has appeared as herself in a number of documentaries, including 7 Girls (2001) and Step Into Liquid (2003). Kennelly began a string of successful visits to Teahupoo, Tahiti in 1998 when she won the Gotcha Black Pearl Women's Pro. Lesbian. Kennelly: There wasn't a big wave tour or anything like that yet so, I was just going out and doing it and I was one of the only women doing it at that time. Showing Editorial results for keala kennelly. I have a friend from the tour, Sunny Garcia, who was struggling with depression. And not even 11-time world champion Kelly Slater could keep his jaw from dropping. A powerful wave threw her from her surf board while she was in shallow water into a coral reef. Keala Kennelly captured by Tim McKenna. KK: Id disagree. And doing so has helped shape the path of her life. So, it's really nice to see that attitude change. Otherwise, I haven't seen a lot of LGBT communities within the surfing world. Less talk, more action. Keala Kennelly (born August 13, 1978) is a professional surfer, DJ, and actress from Kauai, Hawaii. In the last few years Keala has had much success as the first viable female free surfer. )For More Check Out:THE GNARLIEST BIG WAVE RIDES OF THE YEAR!!! He said that I shouldn't be afraid of asking for help. Things are changing fast and getting better for everybody, not just women. Despite her packed resume of badass wins and awards, Kennelly is very clear that as a 43-year-old competing against 20-somethings, she's keeping her expectations in check for the tour. [13], In 2016, she won the Pure Scot Barrel of the Year Award at the XXL Big Wave Awards for getting barreled at Teahupoo, Tahiti. Explore the latest videos from hashtags: #kennelly, #kellyskennel . She has also become an outspoken feminist and activist for the LGBT community, a world away from the cloistered surf industry. A few years ago I was surfing in Morea with my brother Gavin and a few boys from Oahu and Kauai. Kennelly is currently competing in Red Bull Sport's Magnitude, the first womens-only big wave contest across Hawaii. Her most notable appearances include opening for Snoop Dogg at Rain Nightclub at the Palms in Las Vegas, The Work Magazine Summer Rooftop Pool Party at The Standard in downtown Los Angeles, The Surfrider Foundation 2 Coasts 1 Ocean Event in the Hamptons and Malibu, The Primo Beer/Inertia Summer Rooftop Party opening for Y.A.H.T. For some reason the kids in Kauai are really hard on each other. And, probably, the first former Championship Tour (CT) surfer ever to star in an HBO series. From a young age, she knew that to pursue being a champion surfer, she'd have to crash through a lot of barriers. HALEIWA, Hawaii Twenty years ago, Keala Kennelly donned a competition jersey and paddled out to the celebrated waves of Pipeline on the North Shore of Oahu, the heart of surfing . . 2021 Women's Ride Of The Year Kennelly Keala at Himalayas on December 2, 2020. It took me a year to build up the courage to surf it again. Before that, she was in on the ground level when the push started forthe ladies to have their ownbig wave competitions and, funny enough, probably the toughest person for naysayers to shut down after she made history, winning a big wave award in a field full of men. Hurricane Iniki, September 1992. 1,608 posts. You forget all the BS and the stuff you don't like. She resided atop the CT for years and is currently regarded as one of the best big wave surfers in the world. But none turned our heads like Moana Jones and Tatiana Weston-Webb, who could be seen (and presumably heard) upbraiding one another after getting their swords tangled this evening. I lived on pins and needles, trying not to get outed all the time. Even when we got enough girls for competitions, I still wanted to compete with the boys, too. Bruce paddled out and said, Nice barrel Lala! Then he proceeded to tell all the other boys in the water about it. 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! She was in the Hollywood hit movie Blue Crush and was a season regular on the HBO show John From Cincinnati. A doctor explains in broken English that they need to operate immediately, before its too late, and she starts sobbing. KK: I do think about death. to add information, pictures and relationships, join in discussions and get credit for your contributions. I got into a lot of fights too, but I pretty much learned that the other kids would mess with you, threaten you, and try to intimidate you until you stood up for yourself. DJKK's style is a mix of tropical "feel good" house, tech house, deep house and 80s remix, indie dance/new disco and pop remixes. I'd be hanging out with one of my good friends on tour; we'd be at barbecues where it was all women, and some were sitting really close together. first woman to be invited to the Eddie Aikau Big Wave Event, Tyler Wright is another out championship surfer, LGBT communities within the surfing world, brand inclusivity in terms of sponsorships and advertising. To this day, my father is a 60-something surf-stoked grom. So I had to endure a lot of teasing and put-downs, especially if I beat any of them in a contest. I paddled for a smaller wave but it didnt even break. Getting ready for the Countdown Series events in Australia, Carissa Moore on the women's return to Teahupo'o and BWA Wipeout Week. Recently, Keala became the first woman to surf Nelscott Reef and won the Big Wave Classic, the first event of its kind to include women. WSL is best experienced with Javascript! Peter "Joli" Wilson explains just what made the 2005 Billabong Pro Tahiti such a special moment in surfing history. What do we tell our daughters right now? I know it's helped a lot of people, and that's worth it. She is now pursuing careers as a DJ and actress while . The sharp smell of disinfectant hangs in the air, washing out the odor seeping from the buckets of dark fluid she saw in the hallway when the nurses rushed her into theatre. Keala Kennelly Wiki Biography, Age, Height, Husband, Net Worth, Family Age, Wiki Biography and Wiki Keala Kennelly was born on 13 August, 1978 in Kauai, Hawaii, United States, is an American surfer and actor. He was pissed and smashed my sandwich into my face and we were about to start throwing blows when security broke us up. Surfer Keala Kennelly attends the 10th Annual XXL Billabong Big Wave Awards at Grove Theater on April 23, 2010 in Anaheim, California. I slowly became more comfortable with myself. Kennelly is fully qualified to participate as she, and many other female surfers, have been arguing for years. The posters I collected from #TheEddie big wave event every year were some of my most prized possessions as a kid and I was beyond proud when my brother #BruceIrons won the contest a few years back. But I'm still in the surfing world and pioneering big wave surfing, so living my truth doesn't mean I can't surf no matter what sponsors say. What was your take on the experience? like. ", "Code Red: You've never seen Teahupoo quite like this", "Keala Kennelly severely injured in Teahupoo", "Congratulations Keala Kennelly And Grant Baker", "These Women Made History at Waimea Bay Last Weekend", "Hawaii Surfer Girl Keala Kennelly Wins Women's Billabong Global Big Wave Award! Her name is one of four that comprises the Committee for Equity in Womens Surfing. She continues to DJ and compete as a big wave surfer. Not just to women, but to men as well. You've said that, in recent years, there was a point at which you thought about quitting professional surfing. KK: Definitely. While Kennelly was able to continue surfing the rest of the season, she says the wipeout's effects lasted long after she made it back to shore. The Inertia Contributing Editor. I'm proud of who I am, and when you come out, you're teaching people that you are not something to be ashamed of. That translated well into competing on the tour, because I was able to keep all my competitors at a distance and not get too friendly with them. I was in Costa Rica for a one-star WQS event when my appendix ruptured and I had to be rushed to the nearest hospital in this small town. And yet, it wasn't the easiest of days for you, and you left with an injury. She's so much more accepted today than I was 10 years ago, which means that there's been progress and that's just what the community needs. To be the first there are no words to describe what an #Honor this is for me I would like to thank #ClydeAikau and the entire #Aikau family. So, it's worth it. Then we had Laird Hamilton, Kala Alexander, and Titus Kinimaka to look up to, as well as my own father [Brian]. On Tour, Keala charged in heavy waves like Cloudbreak and Teahupoo, where she also earned recognition for being the first woman ever to tow-in in 2005. Fear is good. Against that backdrop, what made you decide to come out? But lo and behold, there was a hammer about to be dropped on me. After spending a decade ranked in the top 10 on the ASP World Championship Tour (WCT), 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. Follow your favorites and never miss a wave. You also recently made history at another historic event, the women's Pe'ahi Challenge. From that moment on, it went from a chill session with the boys to a much more aggressive pack trying to prove Bruce wrong. It took me two years to go back after that. Hawaiian native Paige Alms made history on November 11 when she became the first woman to win the Pe'ahi Challenge. A Kauai -born surfer, she turned pro at the age of 17, is an ASP World Championship Tour veteran and the . She is one of the few women athletes to have won event titles in both shortboard and big wave surfing events. Keala Kennelly, Campeona y Biggest Wave. But the feeling when you get spit out of a giant barrel at Chopes is like nothing else. There are still no openly gay athletes on the CT, though, she says. Later that year, Kennelly had a tow-in at Puerto Escondido that is considered to be arguably the best barrel by a female to date. All you backsiders out here, KK just got a barrel that shit on all your faces! Then he paddled off, laughing to himself. And it felt really natural, like 'this is how it's supposed to go down.'. I managed to paddle a broken piece back to the channel and I just sat there, shaking. "This gust of wind came up the face of the wave and got under my board and just flipped it sideways," Kennelly, named Female Surfer of the Year by ESPN in 2002, recalls to PEOPLE. Even when I took that first set on the head, and I was like, 'Yeah, awesome. Honolulu. I knew it was big, but I didnt realize how big. Login And instead it feels more like I have a really expensive hobby. Bruce was there and he was on the beach when I got this incredible wave, a really long backhand barrel. So what is it that keeps you going? Slater Nebrosky, Ken Kosada, Ceshina Feliciano, Mike Nulty, Ceshina Feliciano, RedBull, Meet The Contenders For The Red Bull Big Wave Awards Women's Performer Of The Year, 2021 Women's Biggest Paddle Nominee: Keala Kennelly At Himalayas, 2021 Women's Ride Of The Year Nominee: Keala Kennelly At Himalayas, Keala Kennelly Talks Equality In Women's Surfing, Charging Teahupo'o And Competing Against The Irons Brothers, Billy Kemper and Paige Alms Make Maui Proud, Post Show: Paige Alms Leads Bold Pack of Women at Pe'ahi. KK: I believe it has. By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. But I was stoked, I was feeling really confident. She came out and her sponsor didn't drop her, they're still supporting her. What's one thing that you think just might not be translating to potential sponsors? I think I could have made a lot more money if Id stayed in the closet and played the game longer. That is a career, you get paid. Somewhere inside her, the worm-shaped organ known as the appendix has ruptured and is leaking toxic bile onto her vital organs, causing her to vomit out black liquid. During that infamous 'Code Red' swell,[6] she displayed the best barrel-riding by a female at Teahupoo. It saved my ligament from tearing which kept me off the surgeon's table, but poor muscles take a while to heal too. My name is Keala Kennelly and this is my website. I didn't want to win only when it was easy I wanted to win when it was a real challenge. Its like a form of entertainment for them. IRVINE, Calif., July 24, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Keala Kennelly has redefined women's surfing. Keala Kennelly is a 44 year old American Surfer born on 13th August, 1978 in Kauai, Hawaii, USA. It was like they were second-class citizens. The Surfers Journal is made possible with sponsorship from: Tel: 949-361-0331 KK: In Mexico, huge Puerto. She remembers constantly feeling like she was under a microscope and feeling pressure from the ASP toturn a blindeye to her true self. Video from Ken Kosada. Keala Kennelly wins the Red Bull Big Wave Awards WIPEOUT OF THE YEAR for her heavy beat down at Jaws, Hawaii on February 11, 2020. The sharp smell of disinfectant hangs in the air, washing out the odor seeping from the buckets of dark fluid she saw in the hallway when the nurses rushed her into theatre. I'd already come out as a lesbian, and then I had to have a second coming out as a mentally ill person? 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. So when I got on the tour, I was so freaking nervous because I inherently knew I was gay. Once you got home and absorbed the news, did you connect with Clyde Aikau or the rest of the family? Then, Keala took a break from surfing to pursue acting. Dyke. 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. I came from a very loving, very supportive family. I don't do this to make money, I put myself in debt to do this. I didnt come flying out of the closet swinging rainbow flags in the air. I'm just a really honest person, I'm a really genuine, authentic person. Photo: Thouard. Those years before I came out were really hard. Laird had gone there and gotten into many fights, and so had my older brother, so I knew what I was in for. Thats what makes me fight until I break the surface and get a breath. KK: Its still always in the back of my mind. Instead, shes chosen to focus her energy on the big-wave scene, mostly funding her own exploits while breaking boundaries at heavy water locations like Puerto Escondido, Jaws, and Teahupoo (despite the latter trying to kill her, twice). I thought it was rad! 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