Rell sunn documentary
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Rell Sunn broke through gender barriers in the professional surfing world,
making a name for herself as one of the first female
pro-surfers and an all-around waterwoman.
She could tell the size and direction of the swells on the beach at Makaha by the sound of the water hitting the reef. Listening from her little house on Oahu’s West Side, she knew the surfing conditions before getting out of bed in the mornings and structured her day accordingly. If she heard the water echoing way on the outside, no surfing at Makaha. Maybe diving then. Or canoeing. The ocean held endless possibilities for Rell “Kapolioka’ehukai” Sunn, whose middle name means “Heart of the Sea.” In the Hawaiian tradition, her grandmother named her even before Sunn was conceived. It was the perfect herald for a girl who would one day catch the first waves of the professional women’s surfing world.
Films like last year’s Blue Crush and television shows like MTV’s Surf Girls have helped gene
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Rell Sunn: the memorable life of the surfing Queen of Makaha
Rell Sunn left a wave of influence that extended far beyond the island's shores, changing the surfing world and impacting her community profoundly.
Born on July 31, 1950, on the sun-baked beaches of Makaha, on the west side of Oahu, Rell Kapolioka'ehukai Sunn was not just a woman of the sea but also the heart and soul of Hawaiian surfing.
Her middle name, Kapolioka'ehukai, a name gifted by her parents, translates to "heart of the sea," a testament to her lifelong bond with the ocean that was apparent from her earliest years.
Rell Sunn's first encounter with surfing came at the age of four when she began to master the waves on her family's single battered surfboard, the only board she would ride until winning a contest later in her life.
The child of a "beachboy" - a professional lifeguard, surf instructor, and an occasional tourist guide - she was as much raised by the sand and surf as by her father in a modest Quonset hut.
Rell had four siblings: brother Eric and sisters Val Fenwick, Anella Dehr, and Kula Sunn.
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Rell Sunn
American surfer
| Rell Sunn | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1950-07-31)July 31, 1950 Mākaha, Hawaii |
| Died | January 2, 1998(1998-01-02) (aged 47) Mākaha, Hawaii |
Rell Kapolioka'ehukai Sunn (July 31, 1950, Hawaii – January 2, 1998, Makaha, Oahu, Hawaii) was an American world surfing champion. Known as "Queen of Makaha" and "Aunty Rell", she was a pioneer in the world of women's surfing.
Early life
Rell Kapolioka'ehukai Sunn was born on July 31, 1950, in Mākaha, Hawaii.[1][2] Her middle name, which means "the heart of the sea," was given to her by her grandmother.[3] Legally born Roella, a combination of her parents' names—Roen and Elbert—Sunn disliked it, eventually changing it legally to Rell.[4] Sunn's father was a beach boy, a term for men who were some mix of a lifeguard, surfing instructor, and tourist guide.[2] She began surfing at the age of 4.[5]
Career
Sun was Hawaii's number one female amateur surfer for five years.[3] She was Hawaii's first female lifeguard.[6] In 196
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