Keala Kennelly is a professional surfer, DJ, and actress from Kauai, Hawaii. Kennelly: Everybody was just talking about me and it was just I actually quit the tour shortly after I came out because I couldn't handle mentally and emotionally what that was like. It made my mother sound like an awful mom who wasnt there for me. Butch. When they called that Jaws event at our end, you get butterflies. For over a decade she has consistently pushed the limits of what we thought was possible for a womanor hell, anyone. Monday, January 23, 2017. I got completely caught off guard by this west bowl lip that came down and exploded behind me. If youre a female professional surfer and dont fit that description, you basically will have no sponsors. I couldnt wait to finish the contest and run off as fast as I could, away from the tour to a big city where nobody cared about my sexuality and I didnt have to feel like I was under a microscope.. photos, And, probably, the first former Championship Tour (CT) surfer ever to star in an HBO series. A powerful wave threw her from her surf board while she was in shallow water into a coral reef. Hawaiian native Paige Alms made history on November 11 when she became the first woman to win the Pe'ahi Challenge. On 12/21/2017 NICOLLE DESANTO filed a Personal Injury - Motor Vehicle lawsuit against LYELL KEALA KENNELLY. It took me two years to go back after that. Keala Kennelly (@kealakennelly) July 23, 2015. "I beat all the best men in the world to win the wipeout of the year," she says while laughing. April 1, 2019 1:06 pm ET. The whole thing scared the shit out of me. secluded - kennelly stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images . And being trapped in a room full of snakes, like in Indiana Jones. One time I beat Andy, and he wouldnt even speak to mefor a few weeks! I spent so many years being ashamed, hiding who I am. And yeah, I was shocked and honored. As she recovered from the injury, she hopped on the phone to discuss what all these big moments mean, and how soon she might be back in the water. [5], In 2011, Kennelly chased one of the biggest swells to ever hit Teahupoo. But I was stoked, I was feeling really confident. [The Wavelength Drive-In Cinema is back for 2021, bringing you a range of surf cinema, cult classics and family favourites from the clifftops of Cornwall, including two screenings of Blue Crush on the 18th of July and the 7th of August. Dig this slice of The Surfer's Journal? in English from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Master's degree in Journalism from Columbia University. He has a B.A. Keala Kennelly is an incredible surfer. All you backsiders out here, KK just got a barrel that shit on all your faces! Then he paddled off, laughing to himself. After a successful career on WSL World Championship Tour. It's treacherous and exhilarating all at once, and sort of "feels like trying to outrun a dragon," surfer Keala Kennelly says. 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. Laird had gone there and gotten into many fights, and so had my older brother, so I knew what I was in for. That is what Im most afraid of. Surfer Keala Kennelly attends the 10th Annual XXL Billabong Big Wave Awards at Grove Theater on April 23, 2010 in Anaheim, California. The crash was so severe that it earned Kennelly the Red Bull Big Wave Wipe Out of the Year award. Keala is a Kauai-born surfer who turned pro at seventeen, and in time qualified for the ASP World Tour. 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. It was really scary. Everything that matters in surf + outdoorsdirectly to you inbox. It totally crushed me and I was held under for two waves. Keala Kennelly, 42, has been surfing for as long as she can remember. factors that led to the formation of legco in uganda / does mezcal with worm go bad / eddie aikau trophy And instead it feels more like I have a really expensive hobby. Otherwise, I haven't seen a lot of LGBT communities within the surfing world. Jan 27th, 2023. Surfer Keala Kennelly attends the 10th Annual XXL Billabong Big Wave Awards at Grove Theater on April 23, 2010 in Anaheim, California. Kennelly has both been nominated for and won numerous big wave awards. From huge barrels to massive drops, for a handful of other women at Jaws on . My diagnosis was another thing where I didn't think I could be open and coming out about my bipolar and my mental illness. 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 . Kennelly has been a top surfer for years, and went pro at age 17. It created a lot of internalized homophobia and self-hatred in me that wasnt healthy. She was ranked in the top 10 on the ASP World Champion Tour for a decade, before taking a break in 2007 to pursue acting and music. While open to discussing the past, as youll see in this HEADSPACE we filmed with her last year on the North Shore, shes also ready to move forward. Later that same year (2016) she was nominated for an ESPY Award.[16]. 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. Keala Kennelly (born August 13, 1978) is a professional surfer, DJ, and actress from Kauai, Hawaii. Dyke. Keala Kennelly joins me on March 30th, which happens to be World Bipolar Day, as we discuss the stigma around mental disorders during a critical time in our history when everyone needs access to resources in the battle against depression. Browse 1,676 kennelly photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more photos and images. "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. 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. She is now pursuing careers as a DJ . PEOPLE: What drew you to big wave surfing? KK: I was terrified somebody would find out about my dirty little secret and I would be an outcast. Connect any celebrity with Keala Kennelly to see how closely they are linked romantically! planet. I knew it was big, but I didnt realize how big. It took her finding other gay surfers to realize she could be open about her sexuality and be a pro surfer. I feel like I am good at calculating the risks involved versus the reward, and when I feel like the risk is too high, I have no problem sitting my ass on the beach. Fear helps keep you alive. By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. There were all these cautionary tales of, "You can't be a lesbian, it's career suicide.". Explore the latest videos from hashtags: #kennelly, #kellyskennel . Growing up in Kauai, Hawaii, she didn't have the opportunity to compete in surf competitions against other girls so, she took on the guys starting at age 7. Hurricane Iniki, September 1992. videos, 2021 Women's Ride Of The Year Kennelly Keala at Himalayas on December 2, 2020. ", "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! Professional Big Wave surfer who is known for competing in a variety of opens and surfing events. Kennelly was rushed to the hospital where she reportedly received 40 stitches, 30 in the front and 10 in the skull, SurferToday.com reported . Keala Kennelly is a 44 year old American Surfer born on 13th August, 1978 in Kauai, Hawaii, USA. The Judges overseeing this case are GEORGINA T. RIZK and YOLANDA OROZCO. That was part of the reason why I left the tour and didn't go back to it. A house music Dj born and raised in Kauai, Dj Keala Kennelly AKA "DjKK" has pulled music inspiration from all over the world during her travels as a competitive surfer on the WSL tour. She remembers constantly feeling like she was under a microscope and feeling pressure from the ASP toturn a blindeye to her true self. I remember thinking that I had spent all this time on tour with all these women that I kept at arms length and here I was, about to die, and none of them would care because I never opened up and let them see the real me.. No doubt I pushed them too. To be fearless is to be ignorant.. Keala Kennelly was born on August 13, 1978 in Kauai, Hawaii, USA. Jaws delivers again for the WSL's Big Wave Tour event on Maui. I almost died. 2021 Women's Performer Of The Year Nominees. Fear helps keep you alive. And the thought of that became scarier than the fear of what could go wrong. Not just to women, but to men as well. I was just doing it purely out of passion. Her name is one of four that comprises the Committee for Equity in Womens Surfing (CEWS) maybe the single greatest influence on the WSLs new equal pay policy that might also become state law in California. Keala is a good soul. Keala Kennelly, Campeona y Biggest Wave. It's not like I made some big statement I just started bringing girlfriends on tour and not introducing them as friends. What has the surfing world been like for you since you came out? By any measure, Keala Kennelly has achieved a slew of firsts: First woman known to have surfed Teahupo'o. Discover Keala Kennelly's Wiki Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Browse the full lineup and get your ticket here.Or, subscribe to Wavelength now to get free . Transsexual. Make sure to enable it in your browser. 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. He said: contact@surfersjournal.com. Getting ready for the Countdown Series events in Australia, Carissa Moore on the women's return to Teahupo'o and BWA Wipeout Week. He was gonna have to start over, so Keala's mom, free spirit that she called herself, up and split. Keala Kennelly won The Billabong Pro in 2002. "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'm just a really honest person, I'm a really genuine, authentic person. Keala Kennelly, 42, has been surfing for as long as she can remember. Make sure to enable it in your browser. Link copied to clipboard. I am so humbled right now. 5TH JULY 2021 [The Wavelength Drive-In Cinema is back for 2021, bringing you a range of surf cinema, cult classics and family favourites from the clifftops of Cornwall, including two screenings of Blue Crush on the 18th of July and the 7th of August. "They say a picture is worth a thousand words. 2021 Women's Performer Of The Year Nominees. 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). Then I had a few sponsors drop me and so, that was just more confirmation that it wasn't okay. When I was a little girl, I had all the Eddie Aikau posters on my wall. Keala Kennelly (born August 13, 1978) is a professional surfer, DJ, and actress from Kauai, Hawaii. Kennelly turned professional at the age of 17 and soon began surfing in the World Qualifying Series (WQS). 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. After getting barreled, she was pushed down to Teahupoo's notoriously shallow reef and received a severe gash to the side of her face. KK: When I almost died in Costa Ricathat was a real turning point for me. Updated about 1 month ago. Love, fear, elation, terror. 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. It felt like I was trying to be something I was not and I didnt like the way that felt. A photo posted by Keala Kennelly (@kealakennelly) on Nov 30, 2016 at 11:19am PST. [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. Photo: Thouard. I thought it was maybe 6- or 8-foot but it was more like 15! He was open about it on social media, so I reached out to him privately. Keala Kennelly. 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. Watch popular content from the following creators: The Flex Company(@weirdflexbutok), World Surf League(@wsl), Maui Media Cartel(@mauicartel), keala (@keala.lynne), Michelle Kennelly(@kennelly_michelle) . Keala Kennelly captured by Tim McKenna. But especially to women. 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. There are still no openly gay athletes on the CT, though, she says. A video posted by Keala Kennelly (@kealakennelly) on Jul 25, 2015 at 2:47pm PDT. So, that was just, it gave me a reason to leave the tour. Kennelly maintained a spot in the top 10 of the ASP rankings through 2007, with numerous top finishes and groundbreaking female performances. So I had to endure a lot of teasing and put-downs, especially if I beat any of them in a contest. 8 talking about this. When I almost died in Costa Ricathat was a real turning point for me. Big way surfer Keala Kennelly has been fighting for women . Even when we got enough girls for competitions, I still wanted to compete with the boys, too. Been surfing for as long as she can remember boys, too and... Hawaiian native Paige Alms made history on November 11 when she became the first woman win! Totally crushed me and so, that was just doing it purely out of the reason why left... Two waves to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our the Annual! Professional surfer, DJ, and a Master 's degree in Journalism from Columbia University BDG newsletter, agree. 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