EP 199: Kai Lenny - Life of Kai Season 4, Helmets saving his life, the Importance of mental health, His most bizarre concussion, the Pioneers that paved the way, the Next generation pushing the needle, Fatherhood, and the Confidence of champions

8x World SUP Champion, inspired windsurfer, kitesurfer, foiler, big
wave surfer, waterman, and Red Bull athlete, Kai Lenny, joins us on
the pod. After at least a 16 hour flight with his two-year-old twin
toddlers, and a pit stop in LA to accept the Muhammad Ali
Humanitarian Award on behalf of the Maui community at the ESPYs,
Kai joins the Lineup with Dave to discuss season 4 of his biopic
with Red Bull, Life of Kai. He explains his strongest gut feeling
he’s ever had to wear a helmet at Pipe, the very same helmet that
ended up saving his life earlier this year. Kai dives deeper into
his injuries, the importance of taking tabs on your mental health,
and one of the most bizarre micro concussions he’s ever experienced
after a wipeout at Jaws in 2018. He and Dave muse over the big wave
pioneers, like Shane Dorian, Ian Walsh, and Laird Hamilton, and how
their contributions to the sport helped pave the road for the next
generation to become even better than their predecessors. He also
talks about how being a father makes him more calculated about when
he decides to paddle out into big waves, the importance of
confidence, and how that is the true talent of every champion in
every sport. He reflects back on how exciting it was to be on the
ground at Trestles for the WSL Finals in 2023, watching the best
surfers in the world compete for the Title, and how stoked he is on
the next generation of young girls, like Erin Brooks, Sierra Kerr,
Molly Picklum and Caity Simmers charging waves of consequence. Kai
argues that best big wave surfers in the world are often great
small waves surfers and proposes that Jaws be included as a
floating event on the CT before he closes the pod by answering
listener questions and the Lightning Round. Subscribe to Kai
Lenny’s YouTube and follow him here. Watch Red Bull’s Life of Kai
Season 4 here. Support our Maui community by donating to the Maui
Pono Foundation. Stay up to date with everyone Tahiti bound for the
Olympics. Join the conversation by following The Lineup podcast
with Dave Prodan on Instagram and subscribing to our Youtube
channel. Stay up to date with all things WSL. Learn more about your
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