JettyGirl: A one million
dollar check arrives in your mailbox with a
note that reads, "Half of this amount is
yours and the other half is to benefit the world
around you." How would you spend the money?
Kenzie Kessler:
I guess with the half I got to keep I would
probably just save it for traveling. With the
other half I would do something to better the
Mentawai Islands. Not like the waves could get
any better but something to benefit the people
and the environment. It is my favorite place
in the world I have traveled to and I want to
do something to give back.
JG: Describe the best surfboard
you've ever ridden and why it was special to
you.
Kenzie: The best
surfboard I ever had I snapped on a two foot
day! It was a very sad moment in my life thus
far. I was trying to do a snap on a dumpy little
section and I ate it, got worked, and when I
popped up my board was broken. I loved that
board because it responded to anything I wanted
to do, maybe except for rodeo flips …but
I had high hopes.
JG: If you could travel
back to any time in history and hang with one
person while they go about their daily activities,
who would it be and why?
Kenzie: I would
probably travel back to the late 80s/early 90s
when Martin Daly was just starting exploring
Indonesia for surf spots and discovered waves
in the Mentawais and then One Palm Point. That
would be fun to be the only boat out there and
have every wave you wanted at any spot, like
perfect HTs or Macaronis but without the crowd.
JG: For thirty days you're
stuck on a desert island with one book, one
song, one surf movie and one snack food. Which
ones would you choose?
Kenzie: Book -
Surf Magazine. Song - Electric Feel
by MGMT. Surf Movie - 8 Days 8 Slaves.
Snack - Cheese-Its Chek Mix.
JG: What is your best surf-related
memory of 2009?
Kenzie: This past
summer I spent a month in the Mentawais with
my friend Alexi Frantz. We surfed our brains
out in perfect waves everyday but my most memorable
session was at this right called Cold Springs.
We had been surfing a left for a few days and
were amping to go right because we are both
regularfooted. It was getting dark out so we
wanted to get as many waves as we could before
the sun went down. It was pretty crowded so
we decided we would get more waves if we put
thongs on and paddled out. But our plan backfired
and more people ended up paddling out!
