[Cabrera:] Monster waves are a surfer's dream, right? But the waves pounding Hawaii right now are so extreme and dangerous, people are being told to stay out of the water. Some waves are expected to reach 60 feet high. I'm telling you this because my next guest is considered to be the best female big wave surfer in the world. She is one of a handful of women profiled in a new "New York Times" magazine article this weekend, the fight for gender equality in one of the most dangerous sports on Earth. And she's also seen shredding the waves here in a new documentary called "She is the Ocean" which captures her prowess on the waves and her love of the sport. Keala Kennelly is joining us now from Oahu, Hawaii. Thank you so much for being with us. I'm fascinated by what you do. I know just because a wave is big doesn't mean the conditions are right for surfing, but does this swell this weekend have you chomping at the bit?
[Keala Kennelly, Professional Surfer:] Unfortunately this swell this weekend is coming with a really nasty storm front, so it's a kind of victory at sea, so not really anything that anybody should be riding this weekend.
[Cabrera:] It's a no go. We're looking at some of the amazing scenes from the documentary "She is the Ocean." As we look at you are riding these big waves, I mean, that is the definition of an extreme sport. Why do you do it?
[Kennelly:] Well, I heard you on the break say that I'm fearless and that's absolutely not true, Ana. To be fearless is to be completely ignorant of what the consequences are. I'm fully well aware that the consequences are, like, extremely bodily injury and possibly death. But the rush that you get when you actually ride one of these waves is so incredible that it just makes it all worth it.
[Cabrera:] As we mentioned, you and some other women are highlighted in a really interesting piece in the "New York Times" magazine this week and that I encourage everyone to read it. And this article highlights a speech you gave after winning Barrel of the Year, in a category that includes men and it was the first time a female surfer had ever won. And you said in part this, "When I was a little girl, I kept getting told you can't do that because you are a girl. Women can't surf. OK, women can surf, but women can't get barreled. Women can't surf big waves. So, who I really want to thank is everybody in my life that told me you can't do that because you're a woman, because that drove me to dedicate my life to proving you wrong. And it's been so damn fun." So let me ask you, have women achieved gender equality in the world of big wave surfing and how does that translate, do you think, to society at large?
[Kennelly:] Well, I think that, you know, yes, like I said in that speech, I had so many people telling me I couldn't do things. And I think, you know, I was lucky enough that my father was there encouraging me when there was so much discouragement. It was just so important for me to just at least have one person that was encouraging me and making me feel like I could do it. And I think that's kind of what we need the narrative needs to change and young females need to be encouraged to do things because they need to believe that they can because they can. And I hate to think of all the little girls that were told they couldn't do something and they just took that at face value and didn't try.
[Cabrera:] And you obviously are a role model for other girls who or are surfers, who may be interested in exploring big wave surfing. I know you've been fighting for not just yourself but all of them and trying to achieve this equality when it comes to pay and even just being respected at the same level as men. Do you feel like you've done it? Have we gotten there yet?
[Kennelly:] I mean, getting pay equality, the WSL announcing that they will pay women the equal prize money, is just like a huge step in the right direction. I think as far as like the endorsement deals, we're not there yet for women. But I think that that's going to be coming soon. So I'm stoked.
[Cabrera:] We spent a lot of time in the past year here on my show and just in general talking about the "MeToo" movement, the record number of women running for office, taking on other roles that have traditionally been male-dominated position. Why do you think women are having such an awakening right now?
[Kennelly:] Well, I think, you know, you go back a couple of generations and women couldn't even vote, you know. And then for the longest time, a women's place was like, you know, get in the kitchen and make me a sandwich, you know. And it took women kind of moving into these positions of power, becoming doctors, becoming lawyers, become CEOs, to kind of show other women and uplift other women and encourage other women and just showing them with like yes, you can do this.
[Cabrera:] And you're doing it. Keala Kennelly, thanks so much for joining us.
[Kennelly:] Thank you so much. Aloha!
[Cabrera:] Aloha. We're back in a moment.