Chandler Powell

Chandler Joseph Powell was born on November 14, 1996, in Seffner, Florida, to Christopher and Shannan Powell.^[1] His father was one of the first professional kneeboarders to enter and compete in a ski board competition.^[2] During his early childhood, Powell embarked on an amateur career in skateboarding.^[3] He participated in events held at the Skatepark of Tampa and earned sponsorships from Airwalk and Powell Peralta.^[3] Because there was no youth division at the time, he primarily competed against teenagers.^[3]

After Powell's skateboarding career ended when he was seven years old, he played soccer for local clubs in Brandon.^[2] He graduated from the International Baccalaureate program at Strawberry Crest High School with a grade point average of 6.2 in 2015.^[2] He then studied marketing with a minor in international business at the University of Central Florida.^[4]

Powell became interested in wakeboarding when he was twelve years old after attending a contest in Orlando with his father.^[3] He began entering professional competitions in 2012 and finished in the top ten of that year's Monster Energy Wake Park Triple Crown.^[3] In September 2014, he won the Wake Park Triple Crown in the professional men's features category.^[5] Powell became sponsored by several companies such as Liquid Force,^[2] and was named a global ambassador for the non-profit organization Wildlife Warriors.^[6] Throughout his career, he competed in China, the Philippines, the United Arab Emirates, Australia and Thailand.^[3]

Powell continued competing in the WWA Wake Park World Series until his retirement in 2016.^[7] He relocated to Queensland, Australia two years later amidst his romantic relationship with conservationist Bindi Irwin.^[8] He became part of the managerial team at Australia Zoo and was featured on the Animal Planet television series Crikey! It's the Irwins (2018–2022) alongside Irwin's family.^[9][10]

Powell met Bindi Irwin, the daughter of conservationists Steve and Terri Irwin, at Australia Zoo in November 2013, and they started dating two years later.^[11] He proposed on her twenty-first birthday,^[12] and they were married on March 25, 2020, in a private ceremony at the zoo.^[13][14] Five months later, Powell and Irwin announced that they were expecting their first child.^[15] Their daughter, Grace Warrior Irwin Powell, was born on their first wedding anniversary.^[16][17]

The couple live on the private grounds of Australia Zoo with Irwin's family.^[11] Powell became a naturalized citizen of Australia on February 27, 2026, at Australia Zoo's Crocoseum.^[18]