Rell Sunn

Rell Kapolioka'ehukai Sunn (1950 – January 2, 1998 in Mākaha, Hawai'i) 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 and career

Rell Sunn was born in Makaha on Oahu in 1950, the fourth of Elbert and Roen Sunn's five children. Her father Elbert is Chinese, and her mother Roen is Hawaiian-Irish. Her Hawaiian middle name, "Ka-polioka'ehukai", means "Heart of the Sea".

Sunn started surfing at age 4 at Makaha, and was entering competitive surf meets by the age of 14. At the time, not all surfing competitions has women's divisions, in which case she would enter the contest and compete successfully against her male counterparts."Honolulu Star-Bulletin", editorial, January 5, 1998. http://starbulletin.com/98/01/05/editorial/editorials.html]

Sunn was a pioneer in women's competitive surfing and water sports. She became Hawaii's first female lifeguard in 1977. In 1975, Sunn was one of the original members of the first women's professional surfing tour. Faced with what they saw as frustrating inequities between male and female surfers, Sunn, along with other female surfers, founded the Women's Professional Surfing Association in 1979. [http://www.rellsunn.com/asianlifestyle.htm Rell Sunn - the Queen of Makaha, the Heart of the Sea ] ] She also founded the Women's Surfing Hui (organization) in Hawaii. In 1982, she ranked first in the international professional surfing ratings.

Breast cancer patient

In 1982, during a pro surf meet in Huntington Beach, California, Sunn felt a lump in her breast which turned out to be breast cancer. When she was diagnosed in 1983, her prognosis was for one year. Sunn continued to surf everyday after her diagnosis, despite the pain and chemotherapy associated with the disease.

Following her diagnosis, Sunn became a radio disc jockey and surf reporter, a physical therapist at a Waianae care home, and a counselor at a cancer research center. She helped pilot a program for breast cancer awareness at the Wai’anae Cancer Research Center that involved educating local women about the causes and prevention of breast cancer.

During the next 14 years, her cancer went into remission three times, and she underwent a mastectomy and a bone marrow transplant.

Sunn died on January 2, 1998. Over 3,000 people attended her memorial service, where her ashes were scattered in the ocean off Makaha.

Family

She has one daughter, Jan who is married to Tony Carreira, and two beautiful grandchildren, Kamalanikauikapolila`i and Kaumanakamokilaokaehukai.

Tributes and memorials

* In August 1996, Sunn was honored with a granite stone on the Huntington Beach Surfing Walk of Fame. [ [http://starbulletin.com/96/08/06/sports/story2.html Honolulu Star-Bulletin Sports ] ]
* In 1997, an award-winning documentary about her life titled " [Heart of the Sea] " was filmed by filmmakers Charlotte Lagarde and Lisa Denker. [http://www.rellsunn.com/heartoftheseadvd.htm]

References

http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/heartofthesea/film.htmlHi my nme is brianna noelani heldt call me at 818-6656

External links

* [http://www.rellsunn.com/ Rell Sunn's Official Website]
* [http://www.rellsunn.com/photos.htm Rell Sunn's Photographs]
* [http://topex.ucsd.edu/luau/sunn/sunn.html Rell Sunn's Short Bio]
* [http://www.flex.com/~jai/surf/RellSunn/ Rell Sunn's Pictures]
* [http://www.flex.com/~jai/surf/RellSunn/ashes.html Rell Sunn's Funeral Service]
* [http://starbulletin.com/98/01/12/editorial/special.html Rell Sunn's article]
* [http://www.iav.com/~sponge/stuff/rellsunn.htm Rell Sunn's obituary]
* [http://starbulletin.com/98/01/05/editorial/editorials.html Rell Sunn's obituary]