In four days, 859 fans and friends, including Jason Mamoa and Bruce Irons, have donated $US63,485 of a 150k goal.
A little over two weeks ago, surfing was hit with the news of Sunny Garcia’s attempted suicide and his subsequent hospitalisation in Portland, Oregon.
Ever since, there’s been sporadic announcements of the former world champ (2000) and six-time Triple Crown winner’s passing, each social post and web story quickly removed.
It ain’t no secret that Sunny’s family wants to keep his condition private, which has led to a game of Chinese whisper as fans trawl the net and friends for any sort of update.
The latest report out of Oregon is that Sunny was off sedation but still in a coma. Doctors were treating his kidney and liver with dialysis (an induced coma, where the body and brain is anaesthetised often results in further complications) and that his doctors were meeting yesterday afternoon to discuss his condition.
“We’re seeing little miracles each day,” said the source.
Meanwhile, fans have flocked to a crowdfunding page to help his family pay for medical bills. In four days, 859 fans have donated $US63, 485 of a 150k goal.
Significant donations came from Jason Mamoa ($2000), Bruce Irons ($1500), GoPro’s Justin Wilkenfeld ($2000), moto-king Carey Hart ($1000), Hawaiian photographer Peter Hodgson ($1000) as well as cameos from Lyndie Irons, Nick and Tom Carroll, Luke Stedman, Ross Williams, Kirk Flintoff and Cory Lopez.
“If you are my friend I’ll go to war for you. I’ll give you the shirt off my back. But if I don’t know you and you are talking shit, or messing with my family or friends? Then I will punch you in the face. I don’t care. The press has always made me out to be a rough character but it is not who I really am. I just don’t have time for people I don’t coming up to me and causing problems.” SUNNY GARCIA
The most surprising donation came from Percy “Neco” Padaratz, who fled Pipeline in 2007 after he hassled hell out of Sunny in their Pipe Masters heat.
On the beach, Neco jumped a fence and climbed into the relative safety of the judges’ tower and was given a police escort back to his house.
When asked about his tough-guy image by Chas Smith, Sunny said, “I don’t fucking care. I don’t think of myself that way. If you are my friend I’ll go to war for you. I’ll give you the shirt off my back. But if I don’t know you and you are talking shit, or messing with my family or friends? Then I will punch you in the face. I don’t care. The press has always made me out to be a rough character but it is not who I really am. I just don’t have time for people I don’t coming up to me and causing problems. You would, too.”
Help pay for Sunny’s medical treatment here.
And, shortly, there’ll be a press release from Sunny’s friend, the noted bodyboarder, Kanoa McGee.
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Respect
Should listen to the recent Maurice Cole interview with DLS. It’s a person being real. May shed some light for folks on best way to approach all of this.
Call me old fashioned, but karma’s a bitch.
Wonder what form the karma for that comment will take on you
Snap!!
I always felt that people who say Karmas a bitch in a situation like this where someone is lying in a hospital bed on life support in turn get a dose of bad karma themselves?
Let’s hope so.
I’d upvote you, but the wheels of karma may run me over for the act…
but kerama’s a beach…
Way more profound too fat!
Karma’s a non existent bitch.
Very superstitious, fucken sing it Stevie.
Are you serious? You think you’re earning good karma with that kinda shit? Get the fuck outta here.
you’re old fashioned and so is Karma.
That’s not how karma works. The universe is not nearly as petty as you are.
Removing my previous comment because I read even more toxicity that follows this Tool. Trying not to add too much back. It’s unfortunate that everyone has such resentment and wants to be so tough. Been beat and I’ve given beatings. Get over yourselves. Most “surfers” just have mouths, and only pop off when they’re in little bitch packs, or behind their iPhone. 🥾 🐀
Thanks for doing the reporting Derek since no one else will
nice job Neco……takes a big man to stand up
Beachgrit… Moderate your chat!
So many assholes here. You don’t want to donate, fine move on no need to be such dicks about it. He is someones father and son, learn a thing or two about empathy. Bunch of keyboard warriors hiding behind your screens talking shit about someone who is in a serious condition. God forbid you have to go through something like this – I hope people will be kinder to you.
Ghetto thug. He is a violent degenerate. Me no care
feeling bad that no one cares about you? angry at the world for it?
So you decided to make yourself sound like an asshole, and post it? Didn’t your mother ever tell you that if you don’t have anything good to say about a person, don’t say anything at all? I’ve known Sunny for 25+ years, we all were a little crazy when we were younger. You know nothing but what you’ve read from 20 years ago. Beat it scum!
Word!!
Is ypur mother fat, ugly, and disgusting like Sunny’s. Or is she an attractive model like my sister? You know, the kind Sunny, Kelly, and the rest of the overpaid white trash/descended from cannibal surf pros lie, cheat, and steal for? Seriously though, just how poor, ugly, and stupid is your family? Kind of funny in a way, some savage, brown cannibal questioning someone’s upbringing.
Word was that Sunny was recently “dating” Lori Park. An early Google crazy rich (and just plain crazy) employee that has been known to buy out Namotu for a week or two. And fly in Kalama and a shipping container of gear. Would hope she could drop a few $s to help Sunny
I’m a Sunny fan and wish him all the best but these GoFundMe pages to get money off fans don’t sit well with me when it’s being promoted by guys who could fart out this kind of money. Own a surfboard company? produce a Sunny model and donate all the profits to his family, or do the same with your beer company or donate some profits from your wavepool. Stop asking for it off people scratching to get by. Pretty sure Sunny has made more money than anyone on this comment section.
m0rt this is to help out his extended family, who’ve dropped all sorts of commitments, work etc, in order to be there for Sunny right now. There’s a lot of ’em and they’re not all very well off. Nobody has to contribute a cent. Let it go mate.
I understand that, My point is his family shouldn’t have to have their hand out to the public with the circle of friends Sunny has. They should be able to deal with this shit privately.
Just because it’s not reported here or on go fund me doesn’t mean it’s not happening, that being said I sure hope his more affluent friends are there for him and his family now because those medical bills are no joke.
Deal with it privately, like have affordable healthcare? This is the U-S-A we’re talking about, not some fucking socialist republic.
Yeah, those healthcare bills can be absolutely life changing. Not to mention the injury as well. Double whammy in the USA unless you are insured or qualify for public assistance.
Settle down big tits
Ha haa your point is pretty obvious… and a bit silly considering the post you are replying to mentions his family in the first place.
Let it go mate.
Id would be ashamed to only donate 2000$ if I was the gopro super rich guy.
thats like me giving 2 $
I don’t necessary know how the wealthy work, whether all their $$ is tied up in “investments”, but I’d say everyone who competed with Sunny on a high level, plus his sponsors could afford a lil more than a cupla Gs each… Maybe they don’t want to outdo each other publicly?
Huh. I bet he’s made a whole lot less than you’d think. I’m sure he was doing well at the peak of his career, but not enough to set him up for life. Maybe. Just don’t know.
it is kind of trip to see how few pros and industry heads donated to sunnys fund. No $$ from slater, the rothmans, any of the kauai boys except bruce, no $$ from the ho family or Gerry or any other hawaiian surf families…….all that talk about ohana seems to be a charade…lots of talk from these guys, not much walk…come on Eddie, go drop a kilo in town and donate BRAAAA
if you wanted to help someone out would you do it behind closed doors or make it public on a crowdfunder?
crowdfunder
it worked for Ross, Bruce, and Tom and Nick Carroll. Many gave nothing, the majority of donations come from avg everyday people who probably never met Sunny. Its their money to do what they want with. That being said, all the hawaiian talk about how it takes an island to raise a kid…..well that’s just feel good marketing stuff for magazines and such
I’ve seen a lot of Sunny’s friends on the inter web saying “he’s fighting for his life” but since he tried to kill himself, do you wonder if that’s true? What if he’s in there just thinking “let me die already”? Hmm.
As a survivor
Of mental illness I’m big
On second chances
one of your best Eddie
Seventeen short years
Since my big fork in the road
Pot hole free touch wood
I’ll also touch your wood for you.
Uh… that came out all wrong.
Fuck yes.
Beautiful Eddie. That was truly one of your best so far. Nice work.
Real Tasteless man
I was thinking that too. Is the body really going to naturally repair itself when the mind wants no more life?
Well a gun can do some serious damage to ones body. I hope he recovers.
And btw, to show some respect to your readers, who’s the source here? “The latest report out of Oregon is that Sunny was off sedation but still in a coma. Doctors were treating his kidney and liver with dialysis (an induced coma, where the body and brain is anaesthetised often results in further complications) and that his doctors were meeting yesterday afternoon to discuss his condition.”
Dude, if you would at least take a moment to read before to inform, you would know that the gofundme was to pay bills for the family taking care of him, staying at a place far from Hawaii.
How da f can you be so disrespectful with your readers?
Fuck mate, he’s just trying to help. People care
He’s a journalist, his asset is to inform properly, if he doesnt do it, hes shitting on us. Hes not here to help, hes here to inform.
People do care, and updates as opposed to “information” are as much the community hoping/healing, as anything else.. so the critique of Dez is a little much here.
Sunny is a real motherfuckka and people care preciously because he is himself and it sucks to think that he couldn’t take it no more .. And.. meant a lot to groms like me in the 90’s and beyond.
I totally agree with ya, WP. Much love to you!
That’s more like it ami! Fair enough regarding the frustration as far as nothing new, news wise, I guess. I read this story in a different way. I actully think the update type stuff is useful as it keeps Sunny in people’s minds and collective thoughts.. for whatever it’s worth.
Hate that ‘thougts & Prayers” NRA shite I must say. However, many, many people who share Sunny’s passion for surfing and watched him conquer so much, suffer some shit luck, make bad choices etc, all collectivley hoping he and his family are doing ok at a horrible time has value.. I think..
Well one things for sure, you definitely come across as a self assured Frenchman
There is definitely an ASS in that Frenchie self-assuredness.
French and Italian, Turts. A mix of Jeremy Flores and Leo Fioravanti.
jerenardo floravantes…
hahahah Giusto!
don’t see the need to take such an aggro tone in process of making a relatively minor point re: the precise goal of the gofundme funds.
i dont think there’s anyone who doesnt feel for those kids and the rest of sunny’s family.
Exactly Rico. It’s fine for us to be cunts here and reflect the general tone of the hateweb, clown-world and have laughs at how ridiculous surfing and the wsl and most things are. It’s also fine to not be a cunt sometimes and connect with something that unites us..
Alright enough hippie shit. Now your turn to have a pop you cheese eatin’ surrender monkey Jean Paul!
If something is not right, I think that we should note it. If we trust him to inform us, then he shouldnt let us down. He, at least, must apologize and amend the mistake he made.
I was pissed, didnt want to sound aggro dear Ricoimmo. The poor Sunny Garcia coverage makes mad.
you are not right
Be a human first, then whatever else after that
There’s no such a thing as that if you’re a journalist. But anyway, you can be human and inform properly, cite sources and write the right information brah
are you familiar with the work of Chas or is it just this piece?
why do you deserve respect?
Bro, check yourself. The GoFundMe is to pay for his medical bills, you better reread it. It’s not covering the family’s hotel stay & food.