Contestant Biography

HOMETOWN: Jacksonville Beach, Florida

AGE: 27

It was on a family trip to Cocoa Beach that Kayla Durden watched her brother catch a wave, and when her dad asked if she wanted to try, she said yes. From that point on, Durden was hooked! Despite success in the junior surfing ranks, Durden was always committed to her education and graduated summa cum laude from the University of North Florida with a degree in marketing and a minor in Spanish. Since then, she has been appointed as the physical education teacher, athletic coordinator and girls varsity basketball head coach at the Episcopal School of Jacksonville.