Adventure Magazine Issue 227

"Magnitude was
a great concept
that gave women
a platform and
the much lacking
resources we
needed."
“This year was definitely a milestone,” stated Kennelly,
the 42-year-old pro-surfing veteran and winner of 2021
Red Bull Magnitude. The Kauai native surfed the World
Championship Tour for a decade, dominating the heavy
waves like Tahiti’s Teahupo’o, before leaving the tour to
chase giant swells.
Kennelly took home the Overall Winner and Biggest
Wave Awards (the latter for a bomb she caught on an
Oahu outer reef), while Makani Adric was awarded
Runner-Up and Emi Erickson was given the Best Ride
Award for one of her many daring drops at Waimea Bay.
“It wasn’t solely because you had one of the biggest
XXL swells of the decade [that made this year special],
but also because Red Bull put on a specialty female
big-wave event. Magnitude was a great concept that
gave women a platform and the much lacking resources
we needed,” Kennelly continued. “Having filmers and
a jet ski safety team dedicated to us every time the
contest would activate, gave women big-wave surfers
the opportunity to push their limits with more confidence
and then have video footage, not only to use to boost
our profiles but also to review and learn from.”
“Red Bull Queen of the Bay put together the first allwomen's
big-wave surf contest at Waimea Bay. That’s
where women supporting other women came into play,”
said the North Shore’s 24-year-old Makani Adric, who
took home the event Runner-Up Award for the first-ever
Red Bull Magnitude.
And, with the women charging in truly XXL conditions,
the event judges had to understand the consequences
of these waves. “Banzai” Betty Depolito, celebrated bigwave
surfer/spearfisherman Mark Healey, former tour
surfer/three-time Surfer Poll-winner Rochelle Ballard,
and superstar waterman/two-time Red Bull Big Wave
Awards Overall Performance Award winner, Kai Lenny
answered the call. The star-studded judges panel
studied each wave submitted and voted on the winners
of four event awards: the Overall Winner Award, the
Runner-Up Award, the Best Ride Award, and the
Biggest Wave Award.
“Women’s big-wave surfing has seen this slow growth,
but this year it was a huge jump,” observes Healey. “I
think this year was a catalyst—having safety crews and
filmers able to mobilize when those swells hit. It was
a breakthrough year, specifically with the amount of
different women at so many of these breaks.”
Adric, who is among the leaders of the new generation
of big-wave surfers, sees this as just the start of the
momentum swing.
“When it comes to surfing and women supporting each
other, it makes me happy seeing other girls rooting
for one another. When I see other girls out surfing or
trying their best doing what they love to do, it definitely
inspires me to keep pushing forward and paving the
way for the younger generations,” says Adric. “This year
has absolutely been a milestone.”
24//WHERE ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS/#227
Makani Adric surfs during Red Bull Magnitude at Waimea
Bay, Oahu, HI, USA.
Image by Christa Funk / Red Bull Content Pool