Billy Kemper is just 29-years-old, and already wears the title as the "King of Jaws." Most big wave surfers train their lives to achieve such an accolade, but there can only be one king.
Yesterday morning, the conditions provided Kemper with yet another day to prove himself in his backyard. And this wave below is what he calls, "the wave of his life."
Kemper is the winningest surfer at Jaws. In 2015, he won the first Pe'ahi Challenge with the barrel of the event, and most recently he won the 2019 cbdMD Jaws Big Wave Championships with the same commanding performance.
The only year he didn't win was in 2017; however, he still finished runner-up to fellow Maui waterman, Ian Walsh. Kemper has yet to make anything short of a Final at his local wave, which is a testiment to how much much his rigorous training has paid off.
The water angle of his wave is where you see just how technical the ride really was. He sets his line, wrangles a massive foam ball, air drops inside of the barrel, and rides through in celebration. How does he keep doing it?
Already submitted for consideration for the 2020 Big Wave Awards Ride of the Year, a win could make this wave even more historic.
There's already chatter on social media that this could be the wave of the winter, the best Jaws barrel ever, or even the greatest big wave paddle barrel ever. What are your thoughts? Tell us in the comments below.
Is This the Wave of the Winter?
Bryan Benattou
Billy Kemper is just 29-years-old, and already wears the title as the "King of Jaws." Most big wave surfers train their lives to achieve such an accolade, but there can only be one king.
Yesterday morning, the conditions provided Kemper with yet another day to prove himself in his backyard. And this wave below is what he calls, "the wave of his life."
Kemper is the winningest surfer at Jaws. In 2015, he won the first Pe'ahi Challenge with the barrel of the event, and most recently he won the 2019 cbdMD Jaws Big Wave Championships with the same commanding performance.
The only year he didn't win was in 2017; however, he still finished runner-up to fellow Maui waterman, Ian Walsh. Kemper has yet to make anything short of a Final at his local wave, which is a testiment to how much much his rigorous training has paid off.
The water angle of his wave is where you see just how technical the ride really was. He sets his line, wrangles a massive foam ball, air drops inside of the barrel, and rides through in celebration. How does he keep doing it?
Already submitted for consideration for the 2020 Big Wave Awards Ride of the Year, a win could make this wave even more historic.
There's already chatter on social media that this could be the wave of the winter, the best Jaws barrel ever, or even the greatest big wave paddle barrel ever. What are your thoughts? Tell us in the comments below.
Billy Kemper
The 2018 WSL Big Wave Champion and 4x Jaws Big Wave Champion recently suffered an injury while chasing a massive Atlantic swell.
Billy Kemper talks us through an injury he sustained to his right hip while chasing a massive Atlantic swell in Morocco.
The 2018 WSL Big Wave Champion and 4x Jaws Big Wave Champion suffered an injury yesterday while chasing a massive Atlantic swell.
We've been cooking up something with Billy Kemper, Luke Davis and Koa Smith somewhere in the Northern Hemisphere this week. More to come…
If it wasn't for a well-timed lay-day at the recent Sunset Open, Billy Kemper may not have caught the best wave of his life.
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