How good are Kaua’i surfers? How about this: Four of five in the ESPN Action Sports & Music Awards’ Male and Female Surfer of the Year category are Kaua’i residents. Need we say more? Hanalei residents Andy and Bruce Irons
How good are Kaua’i surfers?
How about this: Four of five in the ESPN Action Sports & Music Awards’ Male and Female Surfer of the Year category are Kaua’i residents.
Need we say more?
Hanalei residents Andy and Bruce Irons were both nominated for Male Surfer of the Year for their highly successful 2001 seasons, and Keala Kennelly and Rochelle Ballard (grew up in Kapa’a), two more Kaua’i residents, were nominated in the same category for female surfers.
The Action Sports & Music Awards will take place April 13, at the Universal Amphitheater in Los Angeles, with the original telecast on Tuesday, April 16 on ESPN at 3 p.m. Hawaiian time.
Andy Irons proved he is a dominant surfer on the competitive scene in 2001. He got off to a flying start with a third place finish at Bells Beach in Australia. He came out on top of the Rip Curl Pro and the G-Shock Hawaiian Pro to add more clout to his season. Irons did a remarkable job surfing at other events and for top films of the season.
Irons finished in second place at the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing in Hawaii after a great outing at the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing in Sunset. He also claimed first place at the Billabong USA contest in Huntington Beach. If anyone wants to see his stuff, he has a stellar segment in the movie, “Momentum: Under the influence to top of his successful season.”
Andy’s brother, Bruce Irons, is not ranked in the overall ratings, but is still considered one of the best surfers in the world. Irons lived out a childhood dream when he took first place in the world’s most prestigious professional surfing tournament: the Xbox Pipeline Masters. Irons battled through four rounds of competition en-route to the final in waves ranging from huge and life threatening, to small and tricky. The four-man final saw Irons lined up against five-time Pipeline Master Kelly Slater. Pipeline was not the only contest where Irons proved his abilities. At the Op Pro Championship, Irons finished third in the men’s final. He landed a 360 air to take home the “best aerial” title, showing his surfing skills are progressing with the best surfers in the world.
Keala Kennely finished the 2001 season with a fifth place overall ranking on the women’s world tour while showing she had the skills to be on top. Her strongest contest finish was a first place win at the OP Boat Challenge. She also claimed a first place finish in the Billabong Girls in Panama.
Her third place finish at the Billabong Pro in Teahupoo. Tahiti put her in contention for the world title before coming up short at the final contest of the season. Kennelly is one of the strongest characters on the women’s tour, with a passion for big barrels and a reputation for pulling out big moves under pressure.
And Rochelle Ballard, an Oahu resident who grew up in Kapa’a, Kaua’i, continued to push the level of women’s surfing in 2001 with committed performances in big, reef break venues. She applied this confidence to the opening two WCT’s, reaching the quarterfinals at Cloudbreak (Fiji), and then placed second at Teahupoo (Tah). Heading into the final event in Hawaii she was a strong title contender, but unfortunately lost early and had to settle for an overall fourth on the ratings, equally her best result to date.
The Awards will be presented in 17 categories, highlighted by the athlete of the year in nine categories from six action sports – BMX, Skateboarding, Motocross, Surfing, Skiing and Snowboarding.
A voting body comprised of professional athletes in each sport will choose the winners. Nominees were selected using individual committees from each sport. In addition, other action sport members of the industry assist in the direction of the show, both conceptually and musically.
The show will include live performances by Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jay-Z with an all-star band, X-Ecutioners featuring Xzibit, Unwritten Law and 3rd Strike. Celebrity presenters include Tia Carrere, Carmen Electra, Jaime Kennedy, Juliette Lewis, Sal Masekela, Dennis McCoy, Jonny Moseley, Shaun Palmer, Shawn White, US Olympic Snowboard medallists: Kelly Clark, Ross Powers, JJ Thomas; Original Bones Brigade: Steve Caballero, Tommy Guerrero, Tony Hawk, Mike McGill, Lance Mountain, Stacy Peralta; and more.
Tickets to attend the event can be purchased through Ticketmaster.com. The ESPN Action Sports & Music Awards Fueled by Mountain Dew is owned, organized and televised by ESPN.
