A cup of coffee and a handwritten note placed outside the door of Devan Kennedy’s Atlantic Beach studio offered a glimpse into the energy and spirit of the man who died in a tragic surf-related accident Sept. 8 in Nicaragua.
“You get coffee; no flowers for you! I know you wouldn’t have it any other way dude. We all love you.”
Kennedy, who owned and operated Endless Training/Life in Motion on Levy Road in Atlantic Beach, traveled to Punta Miramar as a volunteer teaching pre-surf and post-surf body movement exercises with Surf Tours Nicaragua. There is no official cause of death, but a preliminary autopsy report indicated that Kennedy drowned.
“The Jacksonville surfing community is mourning the loss of one of their family. Devan touched so many lives, training young surfers to hone their skills in the water,” said Kathy Austin.
She and daughter Piper, a local surfer, trained with Kennedy at his studio and praised his methods for improving endurance in the water.
“He was a positive influence, quick with a smile and a joke and so fun to be around. His energy and kindness impacted many here in Jacksonville and he will be truly missed.”
Austin said a memorial paddle out to celebrate Kennedy’s life will be held at 10 a.m. Sept. 25 at Hanna Park at the Poles, parking lot 1. She created an event page on Facebook this morning and within a couple of hours, over 70 people had already confirmed.
“We will paddle out and hang out on the beach afterwards swapping Devan stories. If you need a board, post a message so we can try to accommodate everyone,” she said. “We are encouraging anyone in the surf community to come out, even if you didn’t know him. It’s such a powerful thing.”
Kennedy is survived by his parents, Dinah Kennedy, and Mike and Valerie Kennedy, and siblings, Lauren Lester, James Mann and Rachel Hite. Valerie Kennedy confirmed Kennedy’s passing in an emotional Sept. 8 post.
“It is with a heavy heart that I write this message. Our youngest son, Devan Kennedy died today in a surfing accident on the coast of Nicaragua. [His father] Mike Kennedy and I are heading out tomorrow to Nicaragua to bring him home. Our family is devastated at the loss of a brother, son and friend to so many. He was truly a kind heart with his trademark smile, good looks, and infectious personality. For a life cut short, he lived well. This is the worst call a parent can ever receive.
“STN offers two surf camps and tours of less-populated breaks near the area of Puerto Sandino in the middle Nicaragua’s Pacific coast with an emphasis on culture, cuisine, fishing and friendly locals. Many of those locals, merchants and guests of several nearby businesses rushed the beach front around 9 a.m. Sept. 8 to assist Kennedy when he was discovered face down in a channel by a camp manager.
“What an absolute pleasure it was to know this determined and happy face. We are blessed to have learned all that we did from this young man,” the business posted on its website Sept. 10. “Our most heartfelt condolences go out to the friends and family of our dear friend Devan Kennedy. You will always be a part of Surf Tours Nicaragua.”
Gregory Chrisman, co-owner of the Casa Sirena Surf Lodge, was among the first responders to reach Kennedy
“Alex ... did his best to keep [Devan's] head up while getting him back to the beach. Kevin, the new chef from Bar Ocho paddled out to help ... then John Riess, the owner of Bar Ocho swam out to help at which point I jumped in realizing it must be something serious,” Chrisman posted on social media. “It was a tough rescue as the waves were strong/overhead and the current was ripping. [Devan] was ... unresponsive ... not in a good state to say the least. We got him on the beach and got to work on him. It was the best we could do with what we had.”
Within minutes, Chrisman said responders loaded Devan in a truck where Héctor Estrada and one of his guests from the nearby Miramar Surfcamp traded off compressions and breaths all the way to the closest medical facility.
“At that point we handed him off to the doctors in hopes they could revive him. Nobody knows exactly how long he was face down for. There were no obvious injuries,” he said. “I do know that we all need to be ... re-trained. We could use some proper lifesaving equipment like a board, torpedo, air bag, automatic defibrillator, etc. He might have stood a better chance if we had some better tools.”
Kennedy was an experienced surfer and a talented Corrective Exercise Specialist and personal trainer with an expertise in Advanced Movement Training and Performance Enhancement. He discovered his love for athletics, helping others fix joint dysfunction and lifelong adrenaline seeker known for pushing the limits. According to a post on the website for Endless Training, where Kennedy trained some of the region’s best surfers like Piper Austin, Hobie Sears and Evan Thompson, he planned to reopen Sept. 12.
“I train with Devan two or three times a week, it’s great to have someone like him who’s so motivated and in your face that, when you want to stop, he just keeps you going and helps push you to the limit,” said Sears. “He’s there to help you with the technicalities of it like keeping your back a little straighter. That’s really great to learn so you don’t get hurt during a workout.”
Kennedy was involved in action sports like Motocross, Freestyle BMX and surfing. Although he endured many injuries, he was able to fulfill his dream of becoming a professional BMX rider by strengthening his body with constant training and rehab. The opening of Endless Training allowed Kennedy to combine his passion for physical training with an understanding of the human body works, leading to a successful career in the health/fitness industry.
The youngest of four children, Kennedy and his brother, James, often stepped in to run the family’s Orlando real estate business Colonialtown Realty and care for the animals at Dragon Ranch while Mike and Valerie were on the road. Dragon Ranch is a not-for-profit animal sanctuary dedicated to the rescue of exotic animals of all kinds including big cats, crocodiles, venomous snakes, bears, elephants and rhinos. The Kennedys have rescued animals for over 30 years and recently established a 501C3 nonprofit organization to expand their efforts outside the gates of Dragon Ranch to help stop poaching of rhinos and elephants in Africa. Mike Kennedy is one of the stars of the Discovery series “Airplane Repo” about five pilots who repossess aircrafts. Known as “The Lone Wolf," the charter pilot who has been doing repo for 20 years is also known as a world-class motorcycle stunt rider, skydiver and aircraft daredevil who competes in air races. He withdrew the “Margaret June” from the Hot Stuff IF-1 Air Racing competition in Reno after learning of his sons’ death. Kennedy shares his son’s spirit and desire to get the most out of life, often with the phrase, “There's just not enough time.”
Valerie said the family is thankful for all of those who offered support both at home and abroad to assist with complicated paper work, travel arrangements, foreign embassies and language barriers within the Spanish-speaking, third world country. Sitting on the upper deck at Surf Camp Nicaragua Tuesday looking out at the ocean, she found comfort knowing Kennedy died doing what he loved the most.
“We retraced Devan Kennedy's last days at the surf camp. Devan and [girlfriend] Cory were in an amazing place ... . All of the staff and guests treated us with so much love and compassion even as their hearts were breaking,” she said. “It was difficult to leave the comfort of the ocean but we had to return to the city of Managua to finish last details. Today we seek one more signature from the ministry of health and then we can bring Devan home.”