A
Tribute by UCSD
Kapolioka'ehukai
The
world of surfing lost a very dear friend when the First Lady of
Surfing, Rell Kapolioka'ehukai
Sunn passed away on January 2nd, 1998 at the age
of 47. Diagnosed with breast cancer when she was just 32, Rell was
given only months to live. Rather than submitting to the disease
and giving up on life, Rell did exactly the opposite, choosing to
live life to its fullest. Although hardly a departure from the way
in which she had always lived, she approached life with a passion,
and chose to live each day as though it was her last. During her
entire fifteen year battle with the disease, Rell gave freely of
herself and indelibly affected each and every person with whom she
came in contact.
Rell's
middle name, Kapolioka'ehukai, is Hawaiian for "heart of the
sea," and her parents could hardly have known how fitting a
name they were choosing when naming their daughter. Often referred
to as the "Queen of Makaha," Rell was the quintessential
water-woman, excelling at all watersports, including surfing, bodysurfing,
spearfishing, and open-water outrigger canoeing. In the early 70's,
Rell was instrumental in establishing the Women's Professional Surfing
Association and founding the women's pro surfing tour in which she
twice finished third in the year end rankings. Also, in a culture
where proficiency in the water is widely respected and lifeguards
are nearly deified, 1977 found Rell honored by being named Hawaii's
first female lifeguard. 
Despite
all of her accomplishments, Rell remained a completely humble and
unselfish person, and might easily have been called the "Queen
of Aloha" for the spirit she carried with her, and the enthusiasm
she devoted to every aspect of her life. Rell often explained, "The
aloha spirit is real simple. You give and you give and you give
. . . and you give from here (the heart), until you have nothing
else to give." Rell was at once a role model, swimwear model,
radio personality, motivational speaker, and hula instructor, giving
of herself to a variety of groups. However, no single group received
more of her time and energy than did the children of Hawaii. Rell
will forever be remembered for her support of children's surfing,
in particular for her annual Menehune Surf Contest, held exclusively
for children at her beloved Makaha beach. Many of surfing's young
stars remember getting their start in competitive surfing at this
23-year-old event that has become known for its atmosphere of fun
and camaraderie. Some of these greats will equally remember Rell
for her annual Thanksgiving feasts, to which all were invited, and
none left hungry.
We
at the UCSD Cancer Center Luau and Longboard Invitational will miss
Rell immensely. From the inception of our event five years ago,
Rell was an enthusiastic supporter of the L & LI - surfing in
it when possible, and later, when cancer had sapped her strength
and made even attending an impossibility, she contributed to the
event in whatever way she could. To honor our friend, and show our
appreciation for her efforts, the 1998 Luau and Longboard Invitational
was dedicated to the memory of Rell Sunn. In addition, we will award
annually the Rell Sunn-Queen of Makaha Award in memory of Rell.
It was Rell's great fear that she would be remembered not as a woman
of the sea, but rather as a victim of cancer. It is our hope that
the perpetual trophy - a 10' classic surfboard, created and shaped
by Larry Gordon - will adequately represent Rell and serve as a
reminder of all that she embodied.
Aloha, Rell
Sunn, and mahalo. .
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