![]() ![]() I grew up in Hawaii, so the Eddie is this legendary thing. I never thought that I would be a woman invited in my lifetime. The Eddie is.this mystical thing that is ingrained in Hawaiian culture. I was like, ‘Why do I have all these texts?' Everybody's congratulating me, and I thought, ‘What did I do?' And yeah, I was shocked and honored. I was on a trip in Europe, and I got back to Los Angeles and my phone started blowing up on arrival. WSL: Did you know that you were going to be named as an alternate in the Eddie? Keala Kennelly: Not at all. #KKWouldGo!Ī photo posted by Keala Kennelly on at 11:19am PST there are no words to describe what an #Honor this is for me I would like to thank #ClydeAikau and the entire #Aikau family. I never thought I would see the day that a woman would be invited to #TheEddie. 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. So much so that he was the subject of an essay I wrote in Hawaiian history class in 7th grade. ![]() I revered this beautiful Hawaiian man that rode these mountains of water with such style and grace. but I had one #hero I never got to meet and that was #EddieAikau. When I was a little girl growing up on #Kauai I had many heros from #LairdHamilton to #TitusKinimaka #AndyIrons #BruceIrons and on and on. 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. Kennelly was at that event, too, although her run was cut short when a wipeout sent her to the hospital. The historic invitation came on the heels of another history-making moment, the first-ever women's big-wave contest on the WSL's Big Wave Tour (BWT). It is the first time that a woman has been included on the invitee list for the prestigious big wave contest. This little cavern at Teahupo'o last year scored Keala a Big Wave Award for best tube - WSLīut this winter, Kennelly achieved yet another first: She was invited to the Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau as an alternate. And, probably, the first former Championship Tour (CT) surfer ever to star in an HBO series. First woman to win a Big Wave Award for the year's best tube. By any measure, Keala Kennelly has achieved a slew of firsts: First woman known to have surfed Teahupo'o. ![]()
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