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 Celine Chat's homage to Rell Sunn, Queen of Makaha and Heart of the Sea.

by Keiko Beatie

This 20 feet long by 13 feet high was presented in Biarritz at the Surf art festival where Celine had a special exhibition, the piece is entitled "In Rell Sunn's Memory"

Chat was inspired by one of Rell Sunn's classic surfing postures that she saw in the award winning documentary Heart of the Sea that was given to her by Keiko Beatie who is assisting the Rell Sunn Educational Foundation to create a Rell Sunn Bronze Memorial Statue to be placed in Hawaii.

Celine says "It's pure and elegant, strong and sweet, the essence of surfing. Rell Sunn's story and legend is known here in France by the "older" surfers. The younger ones didn't know how special she was and I though it was a great opportunity to open a door on her world and her action for women, surfing and children."

  In 1995 Rell gathered sponsorship and took a group of Menehune contestants on a trip to a surf contest in Biarritz.  This cultural and spirit of aloha visit changed the lives of the children who were fortunate to have gone.  In turn it enamored the surfers of France to still to this day honor the Queen of Makaha for her heart of aloha to children and surfer's all over the world.