Hawaii's Kai Lenny not only seems to be able to do it all when it comes to water, but he manages to do it all to a world-class level. His ascent to major sporting success has been nothing short of meteoric and he's already proved himself as one of the greatest watermen the world has ever known. Renowned for his smooth and efficient paddling style, he continues to push boundaries and ride some of the biggest waves ever surfed.
A multi-discipline master
His technical prowess has led to a flood of astonishing achievements across multiple disciplines, including eight SUP surfing world titles, two Moloka‘i-to-O‘ahu foil titles and second place in the 2013 KSP kitesurfing world championship. In 2019, aged 26, he became the youngest person ever inducted into the Surfers’ Hall of Fame.
His big wave achievements include winning the WSL Big Wave Award for Men’s Best Overall Performance in 2019 and 2020, taking the team title at the 2020 Nazare Tow Surfing Challenge with Lucas ‘Chumbo’ Chianca, and winning the 2020 Men’s XXL Biggest Wave Award for a 70ft ride. Taming waves from the age of four
So where does Kai's affinity with water come from? As the son of California transplants who moved to the North Shore of Maui to surf and windsurf, Kai has tamed waves, wind and water since he was just a boy, catching his very first wave at four years old.
By six, Kai was already windsurfing on his own and entering prone paddleboard races. By seven, he was stand-up paddle surfing, and by nine he was kitesurfing – a sport in which he finished second overall at the 2013 KSP World Championship.
Watch Kai in glorious action at Jaws, the feared Hawaiian surf break, in the video below:
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Watch Kai Lenny's mastery at Jaws
On a day when Jaws was at its peak, Kai Lenny showed up and put on one of the best surfing performances ever seen at the famous big wave in Maui, Hawaii.
Pioneering the foil revolution
Kai can also add 'pioneer' to his accolades because he's often credited for spearheading the popularity of the global foil boarding boom, as well as establishing SUP surfing as a competitive sport. His foil achievements include winning the Moloka‘i-to-O‘ahu foil division in 2018 in 2h 52m 58s, before returning in 2019 to win again in 2h 29m 38s.
"I get energy from being in the water"
Raising awareness for ocean conservation is also a subject close to Kai's heart, which is why he foiled to five Hawaiian Islands (with no motorised assist) to highlight the global ocean microplastics problem. His action kicked off massive coastal beach clean-ups. Some of these distances, like the Alenuihähä channel between Hawaii Island and Maui, required him to balance on a hydrofoil for a whopping 80km straight.
"For me, it’s like the ocean is a battery pack," says Kai. "I get energy from being in the water and when I’m not I don’t have that same spark. The light in my eye dims, maybe. I think for my soul itself, there’s no better feeling than riding a wave."
Join Kai as his journey continues, and see what it really takes to redefine possible in Life of Kai, the multi-season series on Red Bull TV that documents his discovery of what's possible on the biggest waves. 
