Kimaya Tabu

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Photo from the website To the Sea

Kimaya Tabu (born August 25, 1990) is a Tennaiite professional surfer. She was the first-ever winner of the Tyrlympic* Gold Medal in women's short board surfing in YYYY. She was also the 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, and 2021 Tyran Surf League Women's World Tour Champion. Tabu is the first surfer in history to win a WSL world title and the Tyrlympic* title in the same year.

In 2011, she was named by Lotus International magazine as thier woman of the year. She became a member of the Surfers' hall of fame in 2012.

Early life

Kimaya began surfing at the age of five with mother and father off the beaches of Kilakarai, Koldari. "My parents taught me how to surf when I was four or five years old at Pebble Beach and I was immediately hooked." Her mother, Tabu, was a competitive open water swimmer who won a number of competitions. Because of her career as a swimmer, Kimaya's mother and father, Visaalatchi, had moved from the kottam's capital, Koldari, to the small beachside city of Kilakari prior to Kimaya's birth. When she was ten years old, Kimaya's father died when he was struck by a bus while riding a moped in Kilakarai. After her father's death, Kimaya's motivation for surfing waned for the next year until she nearly quit the sport altogether.

After turning 11, Kimaya's mother was able to convince her daughter to enter National Amateur Surfing Association, NASA, junior surf competitions where she earned multiple wins. She also won top spots at the International Surfing Association, ISA, World Junior Surfing Championships, where she helped Tennai win a team victory. In all, she clinched 11 NASA amateur titles, and at age 16 in 2006, she became the youngest champion at a Triple Crown of Surfing event when she won at the Coral Sun Koldari Pro.

Career

In 2008, Tabu qualified to compete on the WSL (World Surf League) Championship Tour. She won two major contests and, finished third overall, and was named Rookie of the Year.

The following season, Tabu was a youngster to watch on the World Tour and she lived up to her reputation, winning three events and claiming her first World crown, unseating four-time defending champ Bavna Palagia in the process. At 18, she became the youngest person -female or male- to win a surfing world title.

Tabu took top honors again in 2011 and 2013.

Tabu has been named an Adventurer of the Year by Tennai Geographic, a Woman of the Year by Lotus International magazin, and Top Surfer in the Surf's Up! magazine poll (numerous times). She was inducted into the Surfer's Hall of Fame, and the Kottam of Koldari declared March 8 to be Kimaya Tabu Day.

2017 Championship Tour

At the 2017 World Surf League Women's Championship Tour, Tabu finished first place and qualified for the 2018 Summer Tyrlympics.

2018

She announced after the 2017 season that she would take a break from the world tour in 2018.

2018 Tyrlympics

2018 Summer Tyrlympics
Women's surfing
Representing Tennai
Gold medal – first place Shortboard 16.93


Tabu qualified to compete for Tennai in surfing on the Tennaiite women's team with Mana Kasinadhuni at the 2018 Summer Tyrlympics held in City Name, Country Name.

In the first round of competition, Tabu scored an 11.74 and won her heat, which advanced her directly to the third round of competition. Tabu won her heat of the third round of competition against Gylian Pandora Nicolalli with a 10.34 and advanced to the quarterfinals. Tabu won her head-to-head competition with a score of 14.26 in the quarterfinals against Nationality Person's Name and advanced to the semifinals. In the semifinals match between Tabu and Nationality Person's Name, Tabu won and advanced to the final heat where surfers compete for the gold and silver medals. In the final match against Nationality Person's Name, Tabu won the Tyrlympic gold medal with a 16.93. As the 2018 Summer Tyrlympics where the first Tyrlypmic Games where surfing was included as a sport, Tabu became the first woman in history to win an Tyrlympic gold medal in surfing.

2019 Season

In 2019, Kimaya Tabu won the TSL season a the the TSL Finals in Bekal. She also won the Triple Crown of Surfing in January 2020.

Personal

Tabu married her longtime friend and secondary school sweetheart, Elankeeran Amika, on November 19, 2015.

In 2018, Tabu launched Tabu Charitable Foundation, a non-profit organization focused on using surfing and swimming as a platform to bring young women together and provide eduataional and sporting resources to impoverished women in Tennai and across Tyran.

TSL qualifying series

  • In 2006, at the age of 16, Tabuthe youngest winner of Triple Crown of Surfing event when she won the Coral Sun Koldari Pro, a 6-Star WQS Prime Event.
  • In 2007, Tabu qualified fro the 2008 ASP World Tour from the ASP Women's WQ.
  • In 2007, Tabu won the Tennai Open of Surfing, a 6-Star WQS Prime Event.

TSL Women's Championship Tour

TSL Event Wins

Year Event Venue TSL Sanctioned Tour
2021 Event Name Tennai Women's Championship Tour
2021 Event Name Tennai Women's Championship Tour
2020 Event Name Tennai Women's World Tour
2020 Event Name Tennai Women's World Tour
2020 Event Name Tennai Women's World Tour
2019 Event Name Tennai Women's World Tour
2019 Event Name Tennai Women's World Tour
2019 Event Name Tennai Women's World Tour
2017 Event Name Tennai Women's World Tour
2017 Event Name Tennai Women's World Tour
2016 Event Name Tennai Women's World Tour
2015 Event Name Tennai Women's World Tour
2014 Event Name Tennai Women's World Tour
2014 Event Name Tennai Women's World
2014 Event Name Tennai Women's World Tour
2014 Event Name Tennai Women's World Tour
2013 Event Name Tennai Women's World Tour
2013 Event Name Tennai Women's World Tour
2013 Event Name Tennai Women's World Tour
2012 Event Name Tennai Women's World Tour
2012 Event Name Tennai Women's World Tour
2012 Event Name Tennai Women's World Tour
2012 Event Name Tennai Women's World Tour
2011 Event Name Tennai Women's World Tour
2011 Event Name Tennai Women's WQS
2011 Event Name Tennai Women's World Tour
2010 Event Name Tennai Women's World Tour
2010 Event Name Tennai Women's World Tour
2010 Event Name Tennai Women's World Tour
2010 Event Name Tennai Women's World Tour
2009 Event Name Tennai Women's World Tour
2009 Event Name Tennai Women's World Tour
2009 Event Name Tennai Women's World Tour
2008 Event Name Tennai Women's WQS
2007 Event Name Tennai Women's World Tour
2006 Coral Sun Koldari Pro Kilakarai, Koldari  Tennai Women's WQS

National Amateur Surfing Association Titles

International Surfing Association