Keala Kennelly has taken out the Surf N Sea Pipeline Women's Pro 2015, at Pipeline.
The iconic surfer from Kauai dominated the double overhead barrels on offer in the competition. In the final, Kennelly defeated Honolua Blomfield, Melanie Bartels and Moana Jones.
Kennelly opted to move further west toward Off The Wall, during the 35-minute final. The strategy paid off. The big wave charger completed high-risk vertical turns and critical closeout maneuvers to steal the hearts of the judges.
"I've been surfing out here since I was about 12, so I've put in a lot of time. Being a big wave surfer definitely helped today. I've taken my fair share of beatings, so for sure it helps to not be intimidated when the conditions are heavy like they were today," explained Kennelly.
"The final was tough. There were none of the barrels we had this morning, so it all came down to big turns. I watched the heat before mine and saw Anastasia Ashley get a few of those wide ones, so I definitely knew what my strategy was."
Surf N Sea Pipeline Women's Pro 2015 | Final
1. Keala Kennelly
2. Honolua Blomfield
3. Melanie Bartels
4. Moana Jones