David Kelly

Age: Born October 31 1972.

Location: Currently living in Waimanalo Hawaii, but lived in Makaha Hawaii for most of my life.

Home Break: Yokohama

Years DK: Started drop knee in the early 1980s.

Natural/Goofy: Goofy foot.

Why DK: Because I can haha.

Favourite DK Riders: Jack Lindholm, Keith Sasaki, Kainoa Mcgee and for the new guys…David Hubbard.

Prefer Fronthand/Backhand: Mostly go frontside.

Favourite DK Moves: Gotta bury the rail n throw some buckets!!

Future For DK (eg-moves/direction): Airs I guess.

DK Rippers At Your Local: Aka Lyman, these days I mostly surf out at Sandys and Makapuu where Eugene Texeira and Noa Spencer shred.

Shout Outs: westside boys Mac Hall, Abe Wills, Jon Ferriman, Ivan n Jesse Okuda. Maui boys Jimmy Hutaff and Leroy Kaiwi…they taught me everything I know!! Also my good friend and awesome photog Martin Justinevicius for all the sick shots (anybody can look good for a split second).

I grew up on the Westside of Oahu, and am now living in Waimanalo on the Eastside of Oahu. My dad took me surfing when I was about 10 and i’ve been doing it ever since. I’ve spent my entire life in the ocean: surfing, bodyboarding, a lifeguard, commercial fisherman. Now, I share my knowledge of bodyboarding with my two teenage boys Kawika and Joshua, and my 2 year old daughter Rachel. My lovely wife Bethany also joins us occasionally.

I did the amateur contest scene here in Hawaii for awhile then the pro scene a little. Surgery for a torn meniscus shut me down for a while. Then, an addiction to drinking and drugs finished me off. I basically gave up on the sport for about 7 years. Lost my job and tore my family apart as well.

At the end of last year I was about to go into rehab (again) when my dads pastor got a hold of me. I decided to go cold turkey and after some hard core bible studies over a 10 day period. I got baptized and have been sober since the beginning of 2010. God really worked a miracle in my life from drinking every single day for several years and occasional hard drugs to total sobriety without withdrawals.

First and foremost, I thank God for saving my life. Thank you also to my family and my wife, for not giving up on me. And of course my pastor, Kyle Bartholomew and all my church family @ the Honolulu International Christian Church, who are working overtime always keeping me on the straight and narrow.

I love bodyboarding and I love to drop knee. My knee injury slows me down a bit, but I can still bury the rail here and there. Since getting sober and becoming a Christian I have been able to get into the water a lot more and get my stoke back. Nowadays I mostly hit up Sandys and Makapu’u where guys like Eugene, Noa, Aka,and Mason shred…I always like surfing with guys better than me!! Also wanna thank Norm Skorgie and Mike Stewart and Science Bodyboards for hooking me up with some sick gear. If you ever see a bolo head haole with a “suicidal” tattoo in the lineup, or wherever, come say howzit…and if you wanna know how to become a Christian, not just on Sundays, come ask me. I’d love to study the Bible with you and share the good news that saved my life.