Are we all in major brain trouble?
The cover up the new Surfing World magazine features a stunning shot of professional surfer Owen Wright standing tall in a thick lip’d barrel. The title screams OWEN in bold oversized font. A pull quote from Mick Fanning declares, “One of the greatest sporting comebacks of all-time!”
The featured story, written by iconic surf journalist Sean Doherty promises to reveal “His miraculous journey from total darkness to world number 1.”
Owen’s story is truly remarkable and has been covered by news organizations around the world, though the specific details are jumbled. He suffered a brain injury while paddling out to Pipe in December of 2015 and was helped to the house he was staying in and either fell asleep or was seen by a World Surf League doctor. Later, he went to the hospital where his condition was diagnosed and it was revealed that he had a brain bleed.
He told Sean Doherty, “If you try and duckdive a 15-foot second reef Pipe wave, you’re only going to be a foot under water with 15 feet of wave coming down on you. Something is going to give… and I gave.”
Owen does not claim to have hit his head on his board nor the reef. He says a duckdive caused his brain to bleed. This has never happened in the history of surfing. Ever. Or at least has never been recorded by anyone. Ever.
Does Owen’s injury point to a dangerous and never revealed side effect or our favorite pastime?
I paddled out to plus-sized D street in Encinitas today. It wasn’t 15-foot Pipe but… it actually wasn’t even close but took a good number of set waves straight on the head since I can’t duckdive properly, not even a foot under water, since my shoulder pops out if I try. I’ve also taken too many proper waves on the head even good 12-foot sets at Off The Wall and worse 20-foot Bastendorff, Oregon sets which also happened to be freezing cold. Is my brain set to bleed? Are all our brains set to bleed? Are they already bleeding? Are the surfers out at Jaws and Mavericks one poorly timed duckdive away from brain explosion?
Is this surfing’s concussion-gate?
Is this why I can’t remember anything?
So far my enquiries to Rip Curl have been rebuffed but I’ll keep on and keep you informed!
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Having issues duck diving at plus sized D-street? It might be your vagina thats bleeding Chas!
I am all for it… keeping moustaches safe, one wave at a time.
For more on the issue of concussions in surfing and especially big wave surfing, I recommend that you take a listen to the The Kyle Thiermann Show Podcast with Shawn Dollar from Nov 2016 (Episode #5). Shawn discusses his severe brain injuries and his recovery.
iTunes Link: https://itunes.apple.com/us…
Tis true! Shawn is surfing again and taking it easy on the big stuff these days
http://www.santacruzwaves.c…
Chas, where do you want your brain sent for study when you die an early duckdive induced death?
So what Pipe local hit Owen so hard his brain started to bleed?
Owen won’t win the title. Whatever the reason for his injury, just be glad he is back in the mix and shredding.
“The cover UP the new Surfling World…” Lol. I see what you did there.
Duck diving is about to be antiquated as fuck! https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
Owen Wright points to nothing interesting in surfing to anyone.
John J’s ankle last year was your only chance. His sk8 fetish leaves the injury door wide open. That… and he knows a pro surfing crown is virtually meaningless, shows there may be some fun shortly.
Yew!
Mmm, Fiji Pro 2015? Lotsa 10 point rides. Sick surfing
Tahiti. Charging like a madman every year.
Tour needs hard chargers
Slavery to content leaves you in a boat aimlessly wondering where Waldo is & the 40 buck bounty on his little striped cap.
So what you’re saying is Andy Irons had CTE and that explains everything?
Either that or those second reef wash throughs rolled all the way to Texas
He was catching a fuck ton of great waves leading up to this moment….
Someone may have perceived him to be greedy….
Are you trying to say something else may have happened?
Hasn’t that been the insinuation for quite some time?
Will he indulge in his book I wonder? I certainty am going to pay to find out!
I’m going to pay because I just need something to read whilst stuck on airplanes. There’s only so much faux Clancy, Connelly, Cornwell and James Patterson one can read.
Can’t believe you’re cluttering your mind with that pablum
…He says as he scrolls thru the comments
It’s like junk food for the mind. Plus it puts me to sleep which makes the flights shorter.
Man, that Emirates entertainment center. I wouldn’t say the 15 hour flight flew by (not with wifey continuously stink-eying me to help with the kids), but almost.
I have ANA flights to do and their entertainment system is just okay. Singapore and Emirates are about the best out there.
We just made rez’s to go back to Hyderabad on Etihad – we’ll see how that compares
I am partial to Lee Child – Jack Reacher and then laugh every time I think of Tom cruise playing said 6’5 character!!!
Probably the worst casting in movie history.
I hope you’re joking… a book? please no.
I’m asuming that we’re discussing Chas’ new tome, right?
Duh, sorry… I was thinking Owen was releasing a book 1/4 the way though his career. My anger clouded that part of my brain in which Chas’s book hides.
If you’re going out and charging at 15 foot pipe you’ve probably already got some brain issues.