Kennelly, 43, who has been called “the best surfer in the world” has long been known for her fearless approach to waves that few (if any) other women would attempt to catch. Her elimination prize came from a trip to the Jaws Big Wave Championship in Maui when, just as she was trying to get in, a gust of wind flipped her board over. “The board hit me in the shin, then flipped and hit me in the ribs, then flipped again and hit me on the chin, then I flipped down into a 50-foot wave,” she recalls. The leash, which secures the board to a surfer’s ankle, pulled his leg out of its socket as he descended and began to move. tear the labrum on your hip.
Over the course of the next year, his laburm tore a little more each time the strap pulled on Kennelly’s leg in a fall. But before she had the surgery, she wanted to win the Red Bull Magnitude, a women’s big-wave contest in March 2021. So she designed her own chest harness that she could attach the strap to to distribute the force across her torso instead of of in the leg. She worked. She took home the title, then had an MRI and scheduled surgery.
Now, after eight months of not being able to surf, Kennelly is not only back in the water, he’s going on tour around the World Surf League Challenger Seriesstarting on Australia’s Gold Coast on May 7.
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It is the first time he has returned on tour since 2006, when he quit in large part due to homophobia he experienced after coming out. “Most of my professional surfing career on tour was in the closet, just terrified of being taken out of the closet, living this double life,” she says. In a sport known for the hypersexualization of female athletes, the backlash to her true sexuality was so intense (including most of her sponsors abandoning her), that she decided it wasn’t worth the emotional toll.
Sixteen years later, things have thankfully become more tolerant. Now, she returns to a community that has transformed her treatment of women, largely due to her own activism. Along with a handful of other big wave surfers, Kennelly has fought for equal opportunities for women, including equal pay and changes to permit systems that previously excluded women from surfing at certain beaches. (Charlize Theron’s producer is currently developing a feature film for Netflix about his story).
“I’ve done all this work for equality and I’ve never really benefited from it. [it]she says. “So it’ll be great to take the temperature of where the tour is and see those positive changes.” She adds, only half jokingly, “I’m going to do an audit.”
How do you prepare to compete at your best?
After many years on the water, Kennelly has a deep understanding of what prepares your body and mind for competition.
1. She diligently performs hip stabilization exercises.
Following his surgery, Kennelly now works out with a trainer twice a week to strengthen his hips. They particularly focus on stabilization exercises, squatting on props like plates, Bosu balls, or soft foam pads to “turn on all the different little stabilizing muscles.”
Learn how to squat with proper form, then try taking it to an unstable surface like Kennelly does:
2. She uses music to get in the zone
In addition to DJing (he’s had several residencies where he lives in Honolulu), Kennelly uses music to get his head in the right place before competitions. “I shut up and stay away from people, I just listen to music and watch the waves, watch where they break,” she says. Although she has “a million playlists”, house music is his favorite choice.
3. Gets rid of tampons for a more water-friendly alternative
Having your period on a competition day is never ideal, but it’s not as complicated as it used to be. “[When you’re] wearing tampons, every time you go in the water, you’ll get soaked and very uncomfortable,” Kennelly says. Now, she’s sponsored by Bendthat sells discs Y cups that do not fill with water when you are surfing. She says they are so comfortable that she doesn’t even notice when she has one on.
4. Open up your body with targeted stretches
Before getting on his board, Kennelly focuses on stretching. “Me piriformis it gets really tight,” he says, talking about the butt muscle located at the back of the hip joint. He also targets the hip flexors (front of the hips) and loosens up the shoulders to row.
Open up your own piriformis, hip flexors, and other muscles with this specific yoga flow:
5. Keeps your goals in perspective.
Despite her résumé packed with incredible wins and awards, Kennelly is very clear that as a 43-year-old competing against 20-somethings, she keeps her expectations in check for the tour. “There’s always that fear of failure and making a fool of yourself,” she admits. “I mean, these young women are super hungry. Every new generation replaces the previous generation – surfing just keeps getting better and better. I’m not going to put immense pressure on myself. I’m just trying to focus on having a great experience, giving a good show and have fun.
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