Keala Kennelly
Without a doubt one of the leaders in women's big wave surfing, Keala Kennelly has been around and charging forever. She had her stint on the Championship Tour, but after a fairly short run she realized that he was way more excited about paddling out and charging when the waves were of serious consequence.
She is known as the first woman to surf Teahupo'o and she also chose to surf it when it was maxing, death slabs. Her horrific injury on the reef there is testament to her fearless approach. She has been in the mix for the WSL Big Wave Awards before, as she obviously knows her way around the big waves of Hawaii, and recently she has shown absolute grace combined with a very serious approach to catching and getting down a few Pe'ahi beasts. She goes harder than a lot of men.
Keala is a popular female surfer that holds her ground when it gets busy, or tense in the water. She would come into the Women's Performance Awards with a very good chance of a podium finish. Her bomb at Jaws was a combination of determination and experience, and she makes it all the way down until she gets blasted from behind.
Women's Performance Awards Nominee - Keala Kennelly
WSL
Keala Kennelly Without a doubt one of the leaders in women's big wave surfing, Keala Kennelly has been around and charging forever. She had her stint on the Championship Tour, but after a fairly short run she realized that he was way more excited about paddling out and charging when the waves were of serious consequence.
She is known as the first woman to surf Teahupo'o and she also chose to surf it when it was maxing, death slabs. Her horrific injury on the reef there is testament to her fearless approach. She has been in the mix for the WSL Big Wave Awards before, as she obviously knows her way around the big waves of Hawaii, and recently she has shown absolute grace combined with a very serious approach to catching and getting down a few Pe'ahi beasts. She goes harder than a lot of men.
Keala is a popular female surfer that holds her ground when it gets busy, or tense in the water. She would come into the Women's Performance Awards with a very good chance of a podium finish. Her bomb at Jaws was a combination of determination and experience, and she makes it all the way down until she gets blasted from behind.
Keala Kennelly
Big Wave Award paddle week, Keala Kennelly breaks down her Wipeout of the Year, and Sky Brown heroically back on a surfboard.
Getting ready for the Countdown Series events in Australia, Carissa Moore on the women's return to Teahupo'o and BWA Wipeout Week.
2020 Wipeout of the Year Nominee: Keala Kennelly at Jaws, Maui, Hawaii on December 12, 2019. Video by Carlo Carbajal.
Peter "Joli" Wilson explains just what made the 2005 Billabong Pro Tahiti such a special moment in surfing history.
2020 Women's Paddle Entry: Keala Kennelly at Jaws, Maui, Hawaii on January 23, 2020. 2 shot sequence by Fred Pompermayer.
Hawaii/Tahiti Nui
It takes serious courage and commitment to scratch into waves like these.
There are few, if any 17 years olds surfing quite as well as the phenomenon from Maui.
2020 Women's Paddle Nominee: Paige Alms at Jaws, Maui, Hawaii on November 15, 2019. Photo by Aaron Lynton.
2020 cbdMD Women's XXL Biggest Wave Nominee: Maya Gabeira at Nazaré, Portugal on February 11, 2020. Photos by Helio Antonio, Pedro Cruz
2020 cbdMD Men's XXL Biggest Wave Nominee: Kai Lenny at Jaws, Maui, Hawaii on December 31, 2019.