Keala Kennelly recently delivered a fully thought provoking speech on the appeal of big wave surfing at TEDxMalibu. “I was so excited to ride that beautiful wave (Teahupoo). People think that I have no fear but I’m terrified,” she said. “Once you’ve felt something like that and you know it exists, it’s impossible to pretend it’s not there. It’s constantly gnawing at your soul, telling you there’s something more.” Possibly one of the best descriptions of big wave surfing we’ve heard in a while.

The Kauai native’s undeniable drive has lead her to become one of the top ranked female athletes in the world, despite retiring from the ASP World Tour, and was inducted into the Surfing Walk of Fame.