“OMG. Trigger warning first. Did not expect to open Instagram and see that.”
The big-wave world champ and four-time Jaws winner Billy Kemper, a man who famously who survived a near-fatal wipeout in Morocco in 2020, busted Kegel, burst lung, wrecked kneecap and ribs, an event that was made into a brilliant series by the great Erik Logan, has posted a gruesome vid of his leg after his latest surf crash, this time in Mexico.
“You gotta pay to play,” writes Billy Kemper. “On the last day of my trip I took a bad fall and the nose of my surf board stabbed me through my hamstring and hitting my femur so hard that my first thought was, I broke my leg! After taking 5 solid waves on my head I realized it wasn’t broken and that I had a massive hole in my leg. Rushed to the hospital in Mexico to get sewed up and then straight to LA to get a MRI for @doctor.masi to make sure there wasn’t anything still in there or any ligament / tendon damage. Honestly this was so close to being much worse and I am beyond grateful that I’m walking away from this one.”
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Pro surfers were quick to offer sympathy but also a little philosophy.
“The other side of fun!” writes Parker Coffin.
Others were made a little spewy by the videos graphic nature.
“OMG. Trigger warning first.”
“Did not expect to open instagram and see that.”
“Jesus Billy. No warning.”
I force myself to watch surgical videos, and I urge you too, so when the time comes and a pal is sitting there on the deck of a boat with his skull flap draping over his face and its either you stitch it up or he dies, you’re in there with needle, thread and a stoicism you wish you never had to employ.