The day after Reef McIntosh nearly beheaded Tahitaian charger Raimana Van Bastolear with a jet ski out at epic Teahupoo in May 2005 (many say it was the best conditions in decades), Keala Kennelly became the first woman to tow in at the infamous left-hander.
I wasnt thinking, she remembers. I was just doing what felt right in the moment. The face of it was about 20- to 25-feet, but it was pretty damn thick, which I think counts for a lot. KK borrowed a tow board and sat in the channel for an hour trying to convince someone to give her a tow. I asked everybody, she continues. Michael Ho was the one who finally convinced the boys to give me a go. Akila, one of the Hawaiian boys, towed me in. He was awesome. I felt really safe with him on the ski.
Keala was already dubbed the Queen of Chopes before her historical tow because she had won contests there three times already. The tow solidified her reign. It is fitting that KK was the first woman to tow in at Teahupoo because from a young age she was accustomed to pushing herself at the same pace as the boys. She grew up on the beach in Kauai with her family, surfing and playing with all the neighborhood boys. Her father taught her how to surf when she was a baby, and she was sponsored by Town & Country by the age of 12. I had a beautiful childhood, she says. Her grom crew included Andy and Bruce Irons and guys like Kamalei Alexander, Reef McIntosh, Aamion Goodwin, Danny Fuller, Jesse Merle-Jones and Dustin Barca. It was beautiful but also very difficult at times, she recalls. People hated on me for being a haole and also for being a girl in a male-dominated sport, so I always felt like I was having to defend myself all the time; and there were times where I didnt have a lot of friends and it got quite lonely.
It was a much different gromhood than girls like Carissa Moore and Coco Ho have today. Keala laughs, I am very proud because I know these girls are making a decent livinga better living than me actually! But Im happy that I contributed to that. The same way that women like Lisa Andersen, Layne Beachley, Pauline Menzcer, Jodi Cooper and Pam Burridge contributed to my success.
Keala began competing at eight years old and developed a taste for it, all the while pushing herself as hard as the local crew could go. I like the feeling of winning, she says. I dont necessarily like feeling like I am being compared to another surfer. That kind of bothers me actually, because I feel like everyone brings something unique to the sport. But I like going out there and putting on a show, doing it well and inspiring people. Now in her 12th year on tour (on the WQS since 1995 and the WCT since 2000), Keala has no doubt inspired people all over the world. Im inspired by people who are passionate about what they do, KK says. Like Andy, Bruce, Rochelle and Shane Dorian.
At 19, she started going out clubbing with her best friend. A few years later, Keala had bought her first turntables and was collecting records and learning how to mix. I loved dancing and started to develop a taste for house music and that whole underground culture, she says. DJ KK plays gigs between her competition and promo schedule and recently spun at Nextdoor and Casa (Bliss Nightclub). Im looking forward to throwing down at both of those venues in the futureand a few select house parties. When she does have time to herself, Keala relaxes and enjoys her other passions, which include art, cooking, interior decorating and fashion.
As for Kealas passion for surfing is simpleshe loves the way it makes her feel. The biggest lesson shes learned from a life revolving around it is also simple: Dont get too worked up about things that are completely out of your control. Im not perfect and I care less and less to try to be, she maintains. Keala lives life to its fullest in her surfing and personal life. She owns who she is and makes no apologies for those who are intimidated by her fearlessness to be herself.
I believe in energy, she says, explaining her philosophy on life. There is good energy and bad energy. If you put beautiful, good, pure energy out into the world, you will attract more of the same back to you. This is how I try to live.Tiff Hervey

KK Stats:
DOB: Aug 13, 1978
Stance: Goofy

Sponsors: Billabong, Spy, Converse, Spyder, Toyota of South Bay, Aftermath Surfboards, Sambazon, Red Bull, H20 Audio, Urban Decay, Island Style, Vestal
Shaper: Ian Wright
Home Quiver: 10 to 15 boards
Travel Quiver: Six boards (59, 510, 511, 60, 61, 63, 65, 66, 68, 610)
Tunes: Depeche Mode, Massive Attack, Air, Everything But The Girl, Halou, Frou Frou, Sise, Sia.
DJs: Danny Teneglia, Chus And Ceballos, Jesse Garcia, Cevin Fisher, Sander Klieninberg, Laurent Wolf.
Local Talent: X-Factor, Kate Earl, Cancel, Daize Shayne
Post-session Grinds: Down To Earth, Diamond Head Market & Grill
Liquid Loves: Teahupoo and Pipe

KK By The Numbers:
2005 First female to tow in at Teahupoo
2004 2nd Place Roxy Pro France (WCT)
2004 2nd Place SG Queen of Surf (WQS)
2003 World Championship Tour No. 2 (her highest ranking on tour)
2003 Vans Triple Crown of Surfing Winner
2003 3rd Place Billabong Pro Maui (WCT)
2003 1st Place Billabong Pro Teahupoo (WCT)
2003 1st Place Roxy Pro Fiji (WCT)
2002 1st Place Billabong Pro Teahupoo (WCT)
2001 1st Place Billabong Girls, Panama (WQS)
2001 1st Place Op Pro Boat Challenge, Indonesia (Specialty)
2000 1st Place Gallaz Womens Pro, Tahiti
1999 1st Place Wahine, USA (WQS)
1999 1st Place e11even US Open of Womens Surfing, USA (WQS)
1998 1st Place Black Pearl Womens Pro, Tahiti (WQS)
1997 1st Place Wahine Womens, USA (WQS)
1997 1st Place Wahine Womens, USA (WQS)

Many of Hawaiis teenage competitors who were in San Clemente, Calif. for the 2006 NSSA National Championships were forced to stay in a cramped hotel room or an overcrowded sponsors condominium. While many young Hawaii surfers tried desperately to get some sleep in their hotels or condos during an orchestra of snoring and sleep talking from their teammates or parents, 17-year-old Kekoa Cazimero was snoozing soundly on a big bed at his grandparents house in Dana Point. The Waima-nalo resident would also wake up every morning to a hearty breakfast of toad in the hole (an over-easy egg in the middle of a piece of toast) prepared with love by his Grandma May. Then Kekoa, his father, Turk Hawaiian Hurricane Cazimero and little bruddah, Booboo would jump in Grandpa Jons SUV and make the short drive to Trestles. Reenergized and refreshed Kekoa would start off each day at NSSA Nationals on the right foot, increasing his focus and passion for the surf contest.
Last year [at the NSSA National Championships] when Kekoa stayed with the Hurley team, I noticed, from a mothers perspective, a difference in his enthusiasm, says Koas mom, Shari Cazimero. This year Koa Bois enthusiasm to win was evident with his victory in the highly competitive Open Mens division. The goofy-foot Sandys local surfed loose and strong at Nationals, with his pops and little bro cheering him on at Trestles and Moms and baby sis, Lani, rooting at home in Waima-nalo. I think that family support is a big thing because Ive seen kids who try to do it on their own and they dont really succeed, says Kekoa. But if your parents are there, backing you 100 percent it helps because you have that emotional backup that you need.
Whenever Koa Boi has a big contest like the NSSA National Championships, Turk is there to provide the emotional backup. But, the Hawaiian Hurricane isnt a Little League parent. Kekoas always been one to lean on me for support, but I never pushed him. I never told him you have to win, says Turk. Im there to hug him when he does good and Im there to hug him when he does bad. Although Turk is proud of his sons surfing accomplishments, hes prouder that Kekoa maintains a 4.0 grade point average. According to Turk, if Kekoa maintains his current GPA, hell be the valedictorian of Kalani Highs class of 2007.
On top of being Kekoas support, Turk is also one of his closest friends. Movies. Clubs. Ball games. Wagers. Poker. Turk rolls with Kekoa and his crew. My dad is one of the boys. Hes not like other kids dads who are just dorks, says the 2006 NSSA Open Mens champion. When I grow up, I hope Im half the person he is. Turk realizes the special bond he has with his sons. There arent too many 17-year-olds who want to hang out with their dad, says Turk.
Booboo has also been tagging along with the boys and is growing up fast. As a result of Booboos maturity, he is gutsier and has reputation for charging without concern for bodily harm. Booboo is more crazy than Kekoa was at his age. I gotta pull the reins in on that one, admits Turk. Booboo isnt growing up as fast as little sister Lani. Shes only five years old and already has a crush on a boy at school and surfs with her older brothers. Luckily Pops has mother Shari, who is a nurse at Kaiser Medical Center, to help him with Lani and the boys.
Shari and Turk have been married for 20 years. They met while working on a cruise ship. After asking Shari out 10 times, she finally agreed to have dinner with the Hawaiian Hurricane. On their first date, after dinner and dancing, Shari dared Turk to drive their rental car on the golf course. The Hurricane obliged and soon the couple found themselves and their car in a water hazard. When the cops came to survey the scene and make an arrest, Turk was let off the hook by a police officer who was classmates with Turks uncles, Robert and Roland, who comprise the popular Hawaiian music group, The Cazimero Brothers. Since that fateful-yet-fortunate evening on the golf course with the police, Turk and Shari have been together.
They moved their family to Waima-nalo when Kekoa was five and shared a Hawaiian Homestead lot with Turks parents, Lionel (the older brother of Robert and Roland) and Alicia. Kekoa, Booboo and Lani see their grandparents daily and are always stoked to grind tutu Alicias ono home cooking. Maybe home cooked meals from grandma are the secret to wining the Governors Cup. Or maybe, having a supportive family is all an amateur surfer really needs to win.DI

The FlorenceFamily
A Super Mom for Super Groms


A gorgeous woman dropping in backside and surfing well on a 6- to 8-foot solid Pipe wave is a beautiful thing, but theres something even more special about it when a little grom is yelling after her, Go Mom!
There is no doubt that Alex Florence, like her keiki, is on fire. A sponsored surfer, she took home the third place title at the 2005 T&C Surf Womens Pipeline Pro. John John, her oldest son, is the youngest competitor ever in the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing at 13 years of age. He has already landed on the cover of Surfer, but if you live in Hawaii, you can catch a glimpse of him and his two brothers, Nathan, 11, and Ivan, 9, on any given day ripping Ehukai sandbar, while mom gracefully bodysurfs the inside like a monk seal gliding naturally in the ocean.
For Alex, surfing has always been a family activity. I grew up on the Jersey Shore with a pack of boys [two older brothers] surfing because we lived half a block from the beach, Alex recalls. We watched old surf movies like Beyond Blazing Boards and I was like, I want to be that girl charging! And so she did. At 16, she moved to Oahu and conquered waves on the North Shore and around the world before getting married and having three boys.
Now a single mom, Alex juggles attending university, writing for two French magazines (Beach Brothers and Flavor), pleasing her own surf sponsors and keeping up with the boys surfing careers. With a formula that includes no TV, an appreciation for old hardcore music, and lots of time in the water, Alex fosters a healthy environment for her gromsters to grow.
Mom, can I go surf Pipe? asks John John.
No, not today, honey, Alex responds. I dont feel like breaking another board out there. She always goes surfing with John John and has destroyed four boards in the past couple weeks. Why dont you surf Pupukea, and Ill bodysurf the inside?
Not many groms can rap with their mom like that on a day-to-day basis, but what do you expect from a woman who taught her sons to surf in the whitewater at Rockys?
My biggest dream for my kids is that they are happy, healthy and successful in whatever they want to pursue, Alex maintains. I think that nowadays, a lot of kids are getting pushed to be good at surfing, getting hired coaches and stuff like that, which is lame. My philosophy is that kids should just have fun. Its not like it was a planned thinglike I said, OK, Im going to make these kids pro surfers. It really just fell into our laps and was a natural progression as we were having fun growing up on the beach.
To a son whose career is blowing up at such an early age, the super mom shows nothing but support. It was cool to compete in the Triple Crown this year, says John John. I got to surf with some of the best guys in the world. I was especially stoked at Pipe. Only four guys out and perfect waves.
As the family packs for a snowboarding trip, Alex tries to clean the last of their humble beach house, feed the kids, fit in an interview with FreeSurf and get in a surf before the sun goes down. An average day in our house is totally crazy, she says. Trying to keep all the sponsors happy keeps us busy. But they are really good boys and super funny. Theyre my best friends. Pretty much when you become a mom, you become a slave. Youve got to feed them breakfast, do the dishes, get them to school. The hardest times are meals and homework, but the rest of the time is just fun.
Like any other mom, the graceful regular-foot still gets scared when watching her little John John surf big waves, but knows the waves he wants to charge are only going to get bigger as he gets older. A charger herself, Alex is in tune with her and her sons abilities in the water and is confident in them.
Despite the fact that she competed in last years womens Pipe contest, Alex doesnt think there should be one. She says it attracts some women who are inexperienced North Shore surfers, and makes womens surfing look pathetic. Theyre lucky no one got killed last year in the longboard divisiongirls going over the falls and all that. I like being able to surf Pipe with only a couple of girls out, and I competed this year, but its really not a wave you fool around with. Her personal experience at Pipe can attest to this.
The blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty is aware of the diverse and sometimes rough-around-the-edges crowd that makes up the local surf community she and her children are a part of, and she prepares the boys who are growing up fast. I try to tell the kids not to judge people, she says. We have a lot of friends with lots of different backgrounds, and I tell them that some people smoke cigarettes and drink and do other stuff like that, and you can still love them, but you dont have to do what they do.
Whatever Alexs secret is to finding good balance for her family and raising well-rounded children, you can expect to see more of it. She will continue to be involved in managing John Johns rising career, traveling with him to contests and continuing her loving support. John John says he is looking forward to competing more and testing his surfing ability.
As the sun sets on another magical day up country, the Florence tribe gets ready for takeoff to Mammoth. In a moment alone with the boys, I ask what they like best about their mother. Nathan, leaning on the edge of the outdoor picnic table looks straight into my eyes and says with a wide-toothed smile, The thing I like best about my mom is that she is a good mom and can still get barreled at Pipe. Now thats a beautiful thing.Siri Masterson

Father knows best
Ben Aipa, Craig Sugihara and Mike Ho
explain how to make your kids rippers
BY DANIEL IKAIKA ITO

A loving bond between a father and his offspring is sacred. The relationship between a dad, his kids and the waves is holy. Most proud poppas want their babies to surf, but they dont always know how to convert their children to the spirituality of surfing. Sometimes kids just dont want to do the same thing as their parents, even if it is something as exhilarating as wave riding.
Perhaps daddy traumatized his little boy or girl during a gnarly first session, leaving the bitter taste of swallowed salt water in their tiny mouth. Or maybe the patriarchal pressure to become a talented surfer was too much for a son or daughter to bear. Many Little League Dads can be seen berating their child at amateur surf contests every weekend. It is easy for an over enthusiastic, surf-stoked father to dissuade his spawn from the surfing lifestyle with too much pushing. When a kid decides to pursue surfing as a way of life, its a choice they make from their personal experience and watching their peers enjoying the oceannot at the prodding of a pushy pops.
I dont want to say parents lead [their kids] to the surfing thing because its different, says master board builder and father of three, Ben Aipa. Its more the kid who feels that the thing is fun. It comes from the surroundings, the other kids. I was just part of taking [my kids] to the playground, which was the beach.
Bens first-born son, Akila, agrees with his fathers assessment. My stoke for the ocean came from my dad, says Akila. But I think my stoke for surfing didnt come until I appreciated it for myself and enjoyed it with my friends. Aipa took all his children, Akila, Duke and Lokelani, for their first surf at Baby Queens before they were old enough to ride a tricycle. At the time, Waikiki wasnt nearly as crowded as it is today, but Ben made sure the conditions werent just sunny and warm for the first session. He was more concerned about their overall security in the surf. My first thing was I wanted to makes sure they were safe, says the 64-year-old regular-foot. Make sure the tide good enough, not too low in case they fall off and know who was out there and who to stay away from.
Since the first time at Baby Queens, Ben didnt force his kids into a life of wave riding. In fact, his two youngest offspring, Duke and Lokelani, decided to hang up their boards when they matured and pursued other interests like rock music and life on the mainland. Akila however, followed in his fathers footsteps with a passion for competitive wave riding and surfboard shaping. I never pressed my board building on Akila, says Ben. But I knew in my heart that it was going to happen because I never pressed it.
Akila first discovered his love for mowing foam while he was in high school and Ben was working at Town and Country Surfboards. One day, when the surf was lousy, a teenage Akila and his friend from Florida, Kelly Slater, shaped a retro board (with Ben helping the two here and there). It took roughly four hours for the duo to mow down the blank and when the foam dust cleared, the teens were left with something mystical. The board was a magic shape that produced a cover shot for Slater on an ASP media kitand became a staple of Akilas traveling quiver when he was competing professionally. But more importantly, the single fin produced Akilas passion for board building and design.
Eventually Akila gave up surfing heats for a living and learned to shape professionally from his old man. By tapping into Bens wealth of surfboard knowledge, Akilas skill with a planer advanced rapidly. Soon Akila was able to make money from shaping like his dad.
Being a part of the Hawaiian culture and learning a trade from your father is inspiring, proudly states Akila, who now has his own surfboard label and business. My stoke from my dad came from watching his craftsmanship, how he was so articulate and cared so much about the little things that made everything come together through design.
These days, Ben not only calls his first-born his best friend, but also his colleague. Akila builds boards on the North Shore, his latest favorite design is a MR-inspired [former world champion Mark Richards] twin fin that has pros like Dave Rastovich putting in huge orders for Akilas designs. Ben continues to pump out high quality custom shapes in Town, and you still cant order a better Sting from anybody else.
Much like the Aipa ohana, the Sugihara family has carved out a lucrative life from a pure love of surfing. Thirty-five years ago, Craig Sugihara started the surf shop chain Town and Country Surfboards. Through decades of offering high quality surfboards, accessories and apparel, T&C has become one of the most successful surf shops in Hawaii. Today, Craig still calls the shots at Town and Country, but he is currently grooming his two sons, Ryan, 27, and Gareth, 26, to take over the family business.
Im proud that my sons got good [at surfing] so quickly, admits Craig. And Im proud that they do something I can relate to. From sitting in the lineup out at Haleiwa during the hanabata days to working in the same office building in Halawa today, the Sugiharas stoke for surfing has put food on the table for Craigs two children and two grandchildren. Craig didnt coax his sons to fill his slippers at T&C when he retires, he actually encouraged Ryan and Gareth to engage in activities outside the ocean. According to Gareth, Craig just wanted his sons to be happy and even supported Ryans choice to leave Hawaii for college.
My dad didnt push me to surf because I was a wrestler in high school, says Ryan. And I went to college to wrestle for Oregon State University but I still loved to surf. The love for surfing continues to bring the Sugihara family closer together, especially now that Gareth has two kids of his own: Cody and Chaden. It gives us something that we can do together that we all enjoy, says Gareth. Its way better than golf!
Just as the Sugihara family can always strike up a good conversation about surfing, Mike Ho and his rippers, Mason, 17, and Coco, 14, are all about the stoke. Mike is one of Hawaiis all-time best pro surfers, winning the coveted Triple Crown twice and the 1982 Pipeline Masters. The 48-year-old, goofy-foot was also a very consistent competitor, placing in the ASPs Top 16 for 10 consecutive years.
Both of Mikes kids are also decorated competitors in the amateur ranks. All three Ho surfers can rattle on and on about surf contests, boards, waves and other surfers, but its the baby girl of the family who is the most vocal. Coco talks a little too much about surfing every night, but its because shes so surf stoked, admits Mike. Father and daughter realize that the common ground of surfing has made their relationship unique. Some girls, more or less, dont communicate with their dad, explains Coco. Surfing brought us a special bond and more to talk about.
When it might seem that such a highly touted pro surfer like Mike would be chomping at the bit to get his children into contest jerseys, that wasnt the case. Mike is more amped that his kids are staying out of trouble than winning NSSA titles. They pretty much wanted to compete on their own, states Mike. I come down to the contest to support them, but I want them to do their own thing.
In fact, Mike rarely takes on a coaching role for Coco and Mason, preferring to be a supportive member of the audience. Instead, he lets Dave Riddle worry about helping his kids win. The only time Mike comes down on his offspring is when theyre being poor sports. Coco is a self-proclaimed, horrible loser and Mike sometimes has to make her realize that shes being a crybaby.
I can see how you can get mad when theres a lot of money on the line, but not at [amateur] contests, rationalizes Mike. Cocos weakness right now is that shes gotta learn how to lose she knows how to win. Youre going to lose way more than youre going to win. [PAU]