Kai Lenny (born October 8, 1992) is an American professional big wave surfer, stand-up paddle (SUP) surfer and racer, surfer, tow-in surfer,

windsurfer Windsurfing is a wind-propelled water sport that is a combination of sailing and surfing. It is also referred to as "sailboarding" and "boardsailing", and emerged in the late 1960s from the Californian aerospace and surf culture. Windsurfing gain ...

kitesurfer Kiteboarding or kitesurfing is a sport that involves using wind power with a large power kite to pull a rider across a water, land, snow, sand, or other surface. It combines the aspects of paragliding, surfing, windsurfing, skateboarding, snow ...

, wing foiler and celebrity watersports enthusiast. Lenny lives on

Maui Maui (; Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ) is the second largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago, at 727.2 square miles (1,883 km2). It is the List of islands of the United States by area, 17th-largest in the United States. Maui is one of ...

Career

Lenny achieved recognition in 2012 with first place at the Hawaii Island Finals SUP pro, and first place at the Sunset Beach SUP pro. Kai Lenny claimed the SUP racing world champion title when he won the seasons finals of the first Standup World Series championship races held at Turtle Bay Resort, O'ahu, Hawaii on 13–14 September 2012. In February 2020 Lenny won the Nazaré Tow Surfing Challenge, at Praia do Norte, in Portugal. The contest ran in massive waves and included the participation of the best big wave riders in the world. He is also known for big beach clean-ups in Hawaii. Kai is a Red Bull athlete.

Positively Kai Foundation

In May 2021, Lenny established the nonprofit Positively Kai Foundation of Puunene, Maui. Following the August 2023 Maui wildfires, the Positively Kai Foundation announced "All donations go to the families affected by the Lahaina and Kula Fires." The Positively Kai Foundation website added that the Fidelity National Title & Escrow of Hawaii provided a matching funds drive in August 2024. In 2023, $25,000 was donated by the

Tulsi Gabbard Tulsi Gabbard (; born April 12, 1981) is an American politician and military officer serving as the director of National Intelligence, director of national intelligence (DNI) since 2025. She has held the rank of Lieutenant colonel (United Stat ...

associated nonprofit We Must Protect, which was established in the state of Hawaii in January 2021, to the Positively Kai Foundation. Lenny appeared in Tulsi Gabbard's video of her 2023 visit to Maui after the fires.

Personal life

Lenny is married to Maui-based interior designer Molly Payne. The couple recently announced the gender of their expected twins with Lenny surfing a wave with a pink flare.Kai Lenny Surfs the Unsurfable
The New Yorker

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lenny, Kai 1992 births Living people People from Paia, Hawaii Windsurfers Big wave surfers American kitesurfers Male kitesurfers World Surf League surfers