This week a huge swell hit Tahiti and Keala took the honours of pulling into the wave of the day at Teahupoo. A huge accolade for her and a big leap for women’s surfing too. Kelly Slater said, ““The stuff guys are doing these days is seriously nuts … into the oblivion not knowing what happens when you wipe-out. But the craziest guy of all is a girl … @kealakennelly,” Slater wrote. “Looks like someone challenged her to a #YouWontGo contest and she called their bluff!”
Brent Bielmann took this epic photo of Keala, he said, “With all that happened, today was definitely one of the craziest days I’ve ever witnessed. To top it off my good friend Keala Kennelly rode (in my opinion) one of the heaviest waves I’ve ever seen here. Stoked I was here to capture that moment.”
Keala caught a beating though and is bruised but unscathed. Keala said, “I love this boat angle shot by Tim McKenna it really shows the thickness. No wonder I’m sore this morning!”
Some incredible imagery from the week included one of the most scary wipeouts we’ve ever seen. Hawaiian surfer Niccolo Porcella survived this and thankfully the jet ski rescue guys picked him up uninjured. Lucky guy!
Jamie O’Brien has to be one of the most entertaining surfers out there. JOB is a barrel-riding master, movie producer, prankster and all-around game changer. Not to mention the star of a successful web series now in it’s fourth season, Who Is JOB 5.0. Determined to make the latest installment of the original series his wildest one yet, JOB turns up the heat – literally – by surfing on fire at one of the most dangerous waves in the world.
Photos: Ben Thouard
On the morning of July 22, after a year of preparation and waiting for the perfect swell conditions, O’Brien was finally ready. It took a team of nearly 25 people including members of fire safety, water safety, production crew and photographers who all came together to make Jamie’s dream of surfing on fire a reality, and the result was indescribable. “When you’re on fire in the barrel, the whole wave lights up fluorescent orange. It’s a really crazy feeling that you can’t even explain. I’ve been surfing big waves my entire life but this time I had this flame just wrapping around my head, which was pretty insane! Something totally different than anything I’ve ever done before,” O’Brien shared after he completed the feat.
Photo: Ben Thouard
It’s not an easy process, even for a team of professional stunt coordinators, safety personnel and surfers, but when each step is performed correctly, the final product is a brilliantly illuminated surfer in the middle of the dark ocean. In short, don’t try this at home.
To watch previous episodes of Who Is JOB 5.0, go to redbull.tv/whoisjob5, and tune-in August 7th for the full story.
