However, Kennelly says that there was intense pressure to hide who she is: between competing on tour, coping with undiagnosed bipolar depression, and being in the closet, she says, "I don't know how I survived those years.". RELATED VIDEO: Ultimate Surfer's Jesse Palmer Says Despite Being an Athlete Learning to Surf Was a Challenge. Keala came home from school one day and there was a "Dear John" letter for her on the bed. A Norfolk Pine karate-chopped the house. I think I would have stopped hiding who I was sooner. 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. She continues to push women's surfing to new levels. and more from FamousFix.com. See First woman to win a big-wave contest. Keala Kennelly (born August 13, 1978) is a professional surfer, DJ, and actress from Kauai, Hawaii. Fear helps keep you alive. She points out that the WSLs making strides. Red Bull Big Wave Awards - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiIKBNXY-F0THE BIGGEST WAVES SURFED IN 2020!! A photo posted by Keala Kennelly (@kealakennelly) on Nov 30, 2016 at 11:19am PST. I don't care what happens." Her various top finishes won Kennelly the year's coveted Triple Crown of Surfing. We've got a lot more stacked for you. When I finally came up my board was destroyed, smashed to pieces. It was pretty much all Brian Kennelly had. From huge barrels to massive drops, for a handful of other women at Jaws on January 16, it was just the moment they've been waiting for. One time I beat Andy, and he wouldnt even speak to mefor a few weeks! PEOPLE: How does that make you feel to see that? 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. [14] This award made her the first woman to win at the Big Wave Awards in any open-gender category. And instead it feels more like I have a really expensive hobby. It created a lot of internalized homophobia and self-hatred in me that wasnt healthy. On Tour, Keala charged in heavy waves like Cloudbreak and Teahupoo, where . KK: Yeah, I was 17. I didn't want to win only when it was easy I wanted to win when it was a real challenge. Explore the latest videos from hashtags: #kennelly, #kellyskennel . That was later, in 2011. He has a B.A. in Venice Beach and opening for Boy Eats World at the Pacifico Beer Party at the US Open in July 2016. I posted something on my Instagram hoping that he would read it, because I am really grateful to the Aikau family for such a big honor. Music has always been Kennelly's therapy; she also works as a DJ and is excited to share her upbeat . Menu. It took me a year to build up the courage to surf it again. There are still no openly gay athletes on the CT, though, she says. Keala Kennelly (born August 13, 1978) is a professional surfer, DJ, and actress from Kauai, Hawaii. Discover Keala Kennelly's Wiki Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. I was like, Why do I have all these texts?' There were all these cautionary tales of, "You can't be a lesbian, it's career suicide.". To have fear is to know that there are severe consequences. The name-calling and gender-shaming from other kids was relentless, even in grade school. But even though it was never really talked about, I felt like I was in a support group. What do we tell our daughters right now? For some reason the kids in Kauai are really hard on each other. The Judges overseeing this case are GEORGINA T. RIZK and YOLANDA OROZCO. Kennelly was first included in the Eddie in 2017 but the event didnt run. 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. First woman to win a Big Wave Award for the year's best tube. During that infamous 'Code Red' swell,[6] she displayed the best barrel-riding by a female at Teahupoo. Product overview OBJ Files (280 MB) DWG Files (110 MB) A Look Back at Keala Kennelly Riding a Jaws Bomb. "The competitive surfing world and the surfing industry overall seem really laid-back, but it's really not that way," she says. It's treacherous and exhilarating all at once, and sort of "feels like trying to outrun a dragon," surfer Keala Kennelly says. A blur of bodies pass by, but most of all Kennelly can hear the screams that echo through the dilapidated hospital. I think I could have made a lot more money if Id stayed in the closet and played the game longer. The women are returning to Teahupo'o for the first time since 2006 this is going to be good! Besides these two acting roles, she has appeared as herself in a number of documentaries, including 7 Girls (2001) and Step Into Liquid (2003). contact@surfersjournal.com. 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. The wipeout was so forceful that the board practically "ripped [her leg] out of the hip socket," she says. Its not me. In the last few years Keala has had much success as the first viable female free surfer. And yeah, I was shocked and honored. I would have loved it if it had been a little less windy. planet. . So much so that he was the subject of an essay I wrote in Hawaiian history class in 7th grade. 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. Kennelly has both been nominated for and won numerous big wave awards. (For the record, we have no worries whatsoever that this photo . She shares a variety of her . KK: I believe it has. Updated: Tuesday, January 24, 2017. 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. SOPHIE EVERARD. That is what Im most afraid of. Right now at a time when we could really use some strong female role models -- especially after this last election, where we thought we were going to have a woman president and then we got the antithesis of that. It was just to prove that women could do it. Good luck tonight LaLa at the Surfer Poll Awards. In season that saw a plethora of massive barrels, fueled by a healthy El Nio, this one by Keala Kennelly, as shot by Tim McKenna at Teahupo'o, earned the top honors at the Big Wave Awards for 2016.It was a historic first win for a woman in the BWA category. But the feeling when you get spit out of a giant barrel at Chopes is like nothing else. Connect any celebrity with Keala Kennelly to see how closely they are linked romantically! He previously worked for Complex Magazine in New York City. It is the first time that a woman has been included on the invitee list for the prestigious big wave contest. That is a career, you get paid. Over the last decade Keala has played internationally at venues in Australia, France, South Africa, UK, Spain as well as domestically . I liked to push myself, and I liked being challenged. KK: Yeah, it was with a boy. videos, KK: Its still always in the back of my mind. Light / Dark. But Kennelly who runs AKKTIVE, a women's board shorts company is used to facing obstacles and succeeding in the face of adversity. According to our records, Keala Kennelly is possibly single. "Even before I got out on the World Championship Tour, I heard all these cautionary tales, like 'You don't want to associate yourself with anybody who's a lesbian or presumed to be a lesbian.'" A few years ago I was surfing in Morea with my brother Gavin and a few boys from Oahu and Kauai. I had to pump through three or four different sections and got spit out. Whereas for the five to 10 years I was doing it, there were no competitions, there was no prize money, there was no incentive really. Browse 1,676 kennelly photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more photos and images. Follow. Kennelly turned professional at the age of 17 and soon began surfing in the World Qualifying Series (WQS). 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. 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 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.". Keala had (1), maybe of the year, at Teahupoo, Tahiti. 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. factors that led to the formation of legco in uganda / does mezcal with worm go bad / eddie aikau trophy 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. ', This was the start of a whole new chapter. Andrea Moller made it two-thirds of the way down her wave before hitting a bump and cartwheeling. You also recently made history at another historic event, the women's Pe'ahi Challenge. 69.9K followers. I never thought that I would be a woman invited in my lifetime. I grew up on the beach playing in the ocean with my two brothers and all the neighbourhood boys including the Irons brothers, Dustin Barca, Danny Fuller, Kamalei Alexander. Marcus Sanders. 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. KK: Loosing the people I love the most, dying before I have accomplished everything I want. That was a real turning point for me, says Kennelly, now 38. After I survived that experience, I let my walls down and became more open again. 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I got completely caught off guard by this west bowl lip that came down and exploded behind me. It was this unspoken thing, a safe space, kind of like 'don't ask, don't tell.' Its like a form of entertainment for them. Keala was born in Honolulu, the capital and largest city of Hawaii. Love, fear, elation, terror. Help keep Keala Kennelly profile up to date. Athlete WSL Womens Big Wave World Champion DJ Motivational Speaker She is one of the few women athletes to have won event titles in both shortboard and big wave surfing events. I am so humbled right now. Like, when we were surfing events, 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. Dig this slice of The Surfer's Journal? Fact: Keala Kennelly is one of the hardest charging and most determined female big-wave surfers to have ever lived. Keala Kennelly, 42, has been surfing for as long as she can remember. WSL is best experienced with Javascript! Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. I almost died. If anything, I think it would be the opposite. 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. KK: Yeah, it was 1998 or 99 I think. The crash was so severe that it earned Kennelly the Red Bull Big Wave Wipe Out of the Year award. A post shared by Keala Kennelly (@kealakennelly) on Dec 17, 2017 at 1:56pm PST. "It got to a point where I didn't care what the cost was, I couldn't live like this," the surfing champion tells PEOPLE in a new interview. It totally crushed me and I was held under for two waves. Even when I took that first set on the head, and I was like, 'Yeah, awesome. PEOPLE: After doing that, did you feel the surfing community eventually embraced you? Jaws delivers again for the WSL's Big Wave Tour event on Maui. 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. What has the surfing world been like for you since you came out? If you look at it, most surf brands only advertise one kind of woman: pretty, feminine, straight, and looks more like a model than an athlete. Kennelly is fully qualified to participate as she, and many other female surfers, have been arguing for years. 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. And it felt really natural, like 'this is how it's supposed to go down.'. Keala Kennelly is a 44 year old American Surfer born on 13th August, 1978 in Kauai, Hawaii, USA. Am I going to go back?" I saw the way lesbians, or just presumed lesbians were treated on tour, and it was terrible. Browse the full lineup and get your ticket here.Or, subscribe to Wavelength now to get free . "They say a picture is worth a thousand words. 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. My last few years on tour everyone pretty much knew I was gay. I lived on pins and needles, trying not to get outed all the time. We were always trying to outdo each other, go bigger. KK: It did. From a young age, she knew that to pursue being a champion surfer, she'd have to crash through a lot of barriers. Updated about 1 month ago. The perfect gift for the surfer in your life. Follow your favorites and never miss a wave. "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. secluded - kennelly stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images . Keala Kennelly is lying on an operating table. Video from Ken Kosada. He was open about it on social media, so I reached out to him privately. Keala Kennelly. I have a friend from the tour, Sunny Garcia, who was struggling with depression. 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. 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. KK: Definitely. This Winter saw the women charging on the North Shore, a Championship Tour event at Pipe and the crowning of a female Triple Crown champ. Keala Kennelly, the professional surfer who came out years ago, has given a fantastic interview to fellow out surfer Craig Butler, who has posted the . For over a decade she has consistently pushed the limits of what we thought was possible for a womanor hell, anyone. Getting ready for the Countdown Series events in Australia, Carissa Moore on the women's return to Teahupo'o and BWA Wipeout Week. Because of that, more women started doing it and we were able to establish a women's big wave tour and have competitions where you could actually win prize money. 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. After a heroic performance at The Eddie, Keala Kennelly faces a painful reality. 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. [12] She was inducted into the Surfing Walk of Fame in Huntington Beach, California as 2013's Woman of the Year. The 35-year-old Kennelly suffered a severe injury to her face while competing in Teahupoo, Tahiti, in 2011. He was gonna have to start over, so Keala's mom, free spirit that she called herself, up and split. Keala Kennelly Wiki, Biography, Age as Wikipedia. KK: I do think about death. Against that backdrop, what made you decide to come out? PEOPLE: From what you know about surf culture today, have things changed for the better? She is now pursuing careers as a DJ and actress while . But at the same time it was really lonely. photos, surfers in the world and arguably the best female big wave surfer on the. ", "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! Fear helps keep you alive. KK: NoI dont know. Dyke. After getting barreled, she was pushed down to Teahupoo's notoriously shallow reef and received a severe gash to the side of her face. Release Calendar Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. 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. Just to say it and do the paddle-out. And it almost killed me.. Keala is a good soul. 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. She would inspire future legends like Bianca . Kennelly began her acting career with a role in the 2002 film, Blue Crush, and later landed a recurring role on the 2007 HBO series, John from Cincinnati. When I was a little girl growing up on #Kauai I had many heros from #LairdHamilton to #TitusKinimaka #AndyIrons #BruceIrons and on and on but I had one #hero I never got to meet and that was #EddieAikau. So, it's really nice to see that attitude change. Staff. [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. [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. Keala Kennelly is an incredible surfer. Keala Kennelly. All you backsiders out here, KK just got a barrel that shit on all your faces! Then he paddled off, laughing to himself. Keala Kennelly (born August 13, 1978) is a professional surfer, surfer DJ, and actress from Kauai, Hawaii. It took me two years to go back after that. Jason Hahn is a former Human Interest and Sports Reporter for PEOPLE. Everything that matters in surf + outdoorsdirectly to you inbox. What happened out there? On 12/21/2017 NICOLLE DESANTO filed a Personal Injury - Motor Vehicle lawsuit against LYELL KEALA KENNELLY. She is now pursuing careers as a DJ . Photo: Keoki Saguibo. KK: Its every emotion. We have no records of past relationships for Keala Kennelly. KK: Yes, but I dont talk too much about what I am going to do until after its done. Behind The Scenes On Blue Crush With Keala Kennelly. WSL is best experienced with Javascript! Keala Kennelly: Not at all. I spent a lot of time on tour alone. Paige Alms got obliterated by a warping mass of water. I think about death a lot. 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. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. In 2006, Keala earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Hawaii. But I was stoked, I was feeling really confident. On mortal fear, sexual identity, and near-death epiphanies. A blur of bodies pass by, but most of all Kennelly can hear the screams that echo through the dilapidated hospital. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. lists 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." 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. It was very similar to coming out as gay. I think the pressure of it hyperextended my knee in an unnatural way that tore a muscle - I tore this little muscle right behind my knee that attaches your calf to the back of your knee called the popliteus. The events have improved, there is a lot more prize money now and . And the thing is . I had undiagnosed bipolar depression and was having lots of suicidal ideation at that time. Surfing wouldnt be the same. 2021 Women's Performer Of The Year Nominees. This Winter saw the women charging on the North Shore, a Championship Tour event at Pipe and the crowning of a female Triple Crown champ. Keala Kennelly, going where no women have gone before. 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. [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 pushed me to be better in the water. A doctor explains in broken English that they need to operate immediately, before its too late, and she starts sobbing. Help us build our profile of Keala Kennelly! 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