I think that's why I was so frustrated -- I have incurred so much debt chasing swells and chasing my passion, it comes to a point where I think, I can't do this anymore. Rebecca Parsons. But this winter, Kennelly achieved yet another first: She was invited to the Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau as an alternate. Kealla Kennelly | USA. Your gift gives them full membership benefits. "They made it pretty rough," she tells Bustle, but she still wanted to make and ride the biggest waves she could. 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. Surfing's first openly gay world champion gave a powerful speech everyone needs to hear. Keala Kennelly is lying on an operating table. Discover short videos related to Keala Kennelly on TikTok. Keala Kennelly (born August 13, 1978) is a professional surfer, surfer DJ, and actress from Kauai, Hawaii. Honolulu. Professional Big Wave surfer who is known for competing in a variety of opens and surfing events. Not just to women, but to men as well. If I didnt go back and face my fears I would never get to experience that feeling again for the rest of my life. I thought it was rad! So, I was absolutely terrified and I spent the majority of my time on the pro circuit in the closet and just completely terrified to come out completely terrified to get outed, that I was going to lose my sponsors. My name is Keala Kennelly and this is my website. For some reason the kids in Kauai are really hard on each other. Keala is a Kauai-born surfer who turned pro at seventeen, and in time qualified for the ASP World Tour. I dont have a big ego about that because its my life on the line. I'm just a really honest person, I'm a really genuine, authentic person. Keala Kennelly girlfriend, wife list. 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." Keala Kennelly is a 44 year old American Surfer born on 13th August, 1978 in Kauai, Hawaii, USA. Keala Kennelly and Malia Manuel paddled out for a sunset spritz. Growing up in Kauai, Hawaii, she didn't have the opportunity to compete in surf competitions against other girls so, she . Its not always easy straddling the divide. 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. Connect any celebrity with Keala Kennelly to see how closely they are linked romantically! Less talk, more action. She resided atop the CT . I thought it was maybe 6- or 8-foot but it was more like 15! It's likely a handful of other women tried their luck throughout the day. news, "They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Everybody's congratulating me, and I thought, What did I do?' I lost most of my sponsors after starting to live my life as an out lesbian I was told that I was no longer "marketable," even though I was nominated for an ESPY and was the first woman to be invited to the Eddie Aikau Big Wave Event. "I beat all the best men in the world to win the wipeout of the year," she says while laughing. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. After graduating high school, Kennelly went right to the pros. 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. 8 talking about this. A powerful wave threw her from her surf board while she was in shallow water into a coral reef. Photo: Thouard. Help keep Keala Kennelly profile up to date. 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 . She is one of the few women athletes to have won event titles in both shortboard and big wave surfing events. For over a decade she has consistently pushed the limits of what we thought was possible for a womanor hell, anyone. As the weeks went by, Kennelly says she developed pain in her labrum (hip) caused by the board yanking the leash attached to her leg during the wipeout. So what is it that keeps you going? ', This was the start of a whole new chapter. Transsexual. PEOPLE: What drew you to big wave surfing? 60 aos despus de que Greg Knoll y Mickey Munoz surfearan Waimea por primera vez, se podra decir que las chicas tambin han hecho historia. In 2015, she was again among the nominees. The media adulation and peer group deference to heroic big-wave surfers like Paige Alms, Keala Kennelly and Maya Gabeira belies the potentially lethal damage that collision with multiple stories . to add information, pictures and relationships, join in discussions and get credit for your contributions. Keala is a good soul. Keala Kennelly was born on August 13, 1978 (age 44) in Hawaii, United States.According to numerology, Keala Kennelly's Life Path Number is 1. "But it's not really the award you want to win when you set out at the beginning of the season.". A Norfolk Pine karate-chopped the house. So, that was just, it gave me a reason to leave the tour. PEOPLE: How does that make you feel to see that? It took me two years to go back after that. KK: Well, it was a process. 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. That was a real turning point for me, says Kennelly, now 38. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. I was like, Why do I have all these texts?' I spent so many years being ashamed, hiding who I am. Make sure to enable it in your browser. 2021 Women's Ride Of The Year Kennelly Keala at Himalayas on December 2, 2020. 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. Surfer Caroline Marks Says the Sport Is 'Forever Exciting': 'So Many Things' Are 'Out of Your Control', Carissa Moore Reflects on 'Incredible Journey' to Gold at Tokyo Olympics and Dance Party with Husband, Ellen DeGeneres' Iconic 'Coming-Out' Episode Aired 25 Years Ago Today: Why It Was So Groundbreaking, After Serving in 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Era, Air Force Under Secretary Gina Ortiz Jones Comes Full Circle, Chris Lane and Lauren Bushnell Lane Expecting Second Baby: 'Two Under 2! Below, Kennelly explains how she decided to come out as a lesbian and about her mental health. A blur of bodies pass by, but most of all Kennelly can hear the screams that echo through the dilapidated hospital. Dyke. Peter "Joli" Wilson explains just what made the 2005 Billabong Pro Tahiti such a special moment in surfing history. He was gonna have to start over, so Keala's mom, free spirit that she called herself, up and split. When I finally came up my board was destroyed, smashed to pieces. It was there, while on top of a 50 . Keala Kennelly is a professional surfer, surfer DJ, and actress from Kauai, Hawaii. Things are changing fast and getting better for everybody, not just women. He kept calling me all these awful things at lunch, things I had never been called before. But even though it was never really talked about, I felt like I was in a support group. I am a professional surfer, DJ, and Actor. Everything that matters in surf + outdoorsdirectly to you inbox. When you're backside on any wave, you're not facing the wave, so your peripheral - you can only see about 11'o'clock without completely jerking your head around. (Video by Carlo Carbajal. Keala Kennelly, Campeona y Biggest Wave. I came from a very loving, very supportive family. photos, like. 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. Kennelly turned professional at the age of 17 and soon began surfing in the World Qualifying Series (WQS). 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. It's not like I made some big statement I just started bringing girlfriends on tour and not introducing them as friends. Since coming out in her late 20s, Kennelly has fought for equal pay for women surfers and brought awareness to being gay and a world champ. Love, fear, elation, terror. KK: In Mexico, huge Puerto. Shes also a big advocate for equality in surfing and has been leading the fight for equal pay and the inclusion of women in more events. In "The Level Up," changemakers in the fitness and wellness industries tell us how they're making an impact in their communities, from pushing for inclusivity to promoting body acceptance and so much more. Locals still rule the renowned big-wave arena of Pe'ahi. KK: Id disagree. Video from Ken Kosada. I would have loved it if it had been a little less windy. 2021 Women's Performer Of The Year Nominees. Surfer Keala Kennelly attends the 10th Annual XXL Billabong Big Wave Awards at Grove Theater on April 23, 2010 in Anaheim, California. Browse the full lineup and get your ticket here.Or, subscribe to Wavelength now to get free . Athlete WSL Womens Big Wave World Champion DJ Motivational Speaker 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 liked to push myself, and I liked being challenged. I'd already come out as a lesbian, and then I had to have a second coming out as a mentally ill person? I didnt come flying out of the closet swinging rainbow flags in the air. Kennelly has both been nominated for and won numerous big wave awards. So much so that he was the subject of an essay I wrote in Hawaiian history class in 7th grade. I think I could have made a lot more money if Id stayed in the closet and played the game longer. KK: Well, Kapaa High was infamous for being a rough school. Kennelly no longer competes on the tour. The current WSL Women's Big Wave World Champion was born and. It is the first time that a woman has been included on the invitee list for the prestigious big wave contest. 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