Kai Lenny, Nick Jacobsen, Zara Davis, and Joana Schenker: Athletes of the Year 2017 by SurferToday

SurferToday has officially named the "Athletes of the Year 2017."

2017 has been the year of evolution. The winners of the SurferToday's "Athletes of the Year" award have all pushed the boundaries of water sports to a whole new level and helped develop their disciplines.

Their creativity, their passion for their game, attention to detail and performance. Winning isn't everything. Life is also about improving ourselves, setting new heights, and fighting adversities.

That is why you'll only find one world champion among the honorees among the honorees for this year's "Athletes of the Year" award.

The 9th edition of the "Athletes of the Year" award by SurferToday distinguishes male and female professionals who embrace and highlight the values of sports: excellence, respect, determination, ethics, overcoming adversity, and strength.

The "Athletes of the Year 2017" by SurferToday.com are:

 

Kai Lenny

Surfing

Kai Lenny

Kai Lenny is not too young to be called a waterman. The Hawaiian breathes and lives the ocean like no one else, and is often spotted gliding across salt and fresh water with several types of boards under his feet.

Lenny is leading the foiling generation towards the future. In 2017, he ticked all boxes. Kai promoted hydrofoils with all sorts of watercraft, including surfboards, windsurf boards, kiteboards, and even bodyboards.

 

Nick Jacobsen

Kiteboarding

Nick Jacobsen

Nick Jacobsen is like a cat with seven lives. The Danish daredevil spent the year 2017 putting his life at risk. Fortunately, everything went well.

Jacobsen jumped off hotel roofs, leaped into the abyss in Dubai, won the Red Bull King of the Air, and set a new kite tow-up world record at 908.8 feet (277 meters). He is the one who's taking kitesurfing into the future.

 

Zara Davis

Windsurfing

Zara Davis

Zara Davis has been a fighter all of her life. In a sport full of male achievements, the British windsurfer proves ladies can be incredibly fast.

Davis, 51, has once again raised the bar in speed windsurfer. In 2017, she set a new world record at the Luderitz Speed Challenge. She is the fastest female windsurfer on planet Earth at 46.49 knots (86 km/h).

 

Joana Schenker

Bodyboarding

Joana Schenker

Joana Schenker is the epitome of the saying "he who seeks, finds." After winning four European bodyboarding titles, and five national titles, the rider from Sagres has finally secured a world title, the first ever by a Portuguese athlete.

Despite the lack of sponsors interested in supporting female bodyboarders, Schenker managed to lock in a few deals that help her pursue a successful career in bodyboarding.


Congratulations to the "Athletes of the Year 2017" by SurferToday.com!

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