Overcoming Fear and Staying Calm in the Face of Big Waves
World’s Best All-Around Waterman KAI LENNY shares his inspiring journey as an athlete and an adventurer, as well as his incomparable perspective on overcoming fear and staying calm in high-intensity situations in this informative and engaging talk. A courageous and explosive athlete, Kai’s career and insights will resonate with all audiences, especially colleges and universities.
Pushing the Limits, in Work and in Life
Professional big wave surfer, author, and TV personality KAI LENNY is an expert at pushing the limits – winning numerous titles and pioneering new sports on the open ocean. In this dynamic talk, Kai shares how he approaches new challenges and sets himself up for success – in work and in life – by taking big risks.
Health & Wellness
Professional big wave surfer and multi-hyphenate athlete KAI LENNY shares his lessons in health and wellness in this motivating and actionable talk.
At 29 years old, Kai Lenny is the epitome of multi-hyphenate when it comes to a modern-day waterman. His prowess is exemplified through big wave surfing, stand-up paddling (SUP) (surfing and racing), tow-in surfing, kitesurfing, and hydrofoiling, for which he is widely accredited with being the pioneer on open ocean. Growing up on the swell-rich northern shore of Maui as the son of ocean enthusiasts, Kai was surfing by the time he was 5, became a sponsored pro athlete at 9 years old, and was behind a kite before he was 10.
Over the years, Kai established his ability to not only win, but dominate in each of his respective sports. His athletic abilities, personality, drive, and open mindedness to doing several sports allows him to cross borders which include being an explosive athlete in performance. He’s also had an impressive lineup of mentors throughout his journey that include windsurfing legend Robby Naish, along with big wave veterans Laird Hamilton and Dave Kalama as some of his most dynamic teachers.
Kai’s done the grueling 50km Molokai to Oahu paddle many times, is a veteran on the Professional Windsurfing Association World Wave Tour, has been runner-up at the Kite Surf Pro World Championships, and has won the SUP World Title eight times and counting. Yet through it all, he remains modest and humble. Outside of these accolades, he has accomplished such feats as windsurfing across Lake Michigan, racing the Americas Cup Boat, Oracle, on a kite surfboard (2013), kite SUP and windsurfed from Maui’s North Shore to Waikiki in one day (2015), and foil surfed/foil kited 50 miles from the Big Island to Maui in an effort to raise awareness around plastic pollution.
Kai still competes in windsurfing, kiting, SUP, and foiling when there are competitions on his radar. The current objective is to win the World Surf League Big Wave World Tour title and get into the Triple Crown on Oahu’s North Shore. With these goals still on the horizon, Kai also successfully ventured into several Hollywood TV and film pursuits with the premier of his first full-length picture, PE’AHI, the 2nd season of Life of Kai on Red Bull TV, and his inclusion as a cast member in the first season of HBO’s 100 Foot Wave.