Video courtesy @powerlinesproductions
Garrett McNamara is familiar with big-wave risks. The Hawaiian charger still holds the Guinness World Record for the largest wave ever surfed. But while surfing Maverick's on Thursday, January 7, McNamara was relying on pure paddle power alone to get down the face of some heavy monsters.
"Today was big, dark, ugly, scary, insane and unforgiving."
-- Photographer Frank Quirarte
With wild El Niño storm conditions ravaging the west coast, every big-wave break was dealing with residual bump, chunk, and chowder. Yet under the messy surface huge swells still beckoned the brave.
McNamara will be sitting out the rest of the 2016 season, but he's vowing to be back. Photo courtesy Frank Quiararte - WSL
KTVU news highlighted footage from the Powerlines Production crew showing McNamara suffering a horrific wipeout. A close examination reveals McNamara getting hung up on takeoff, before airdropping down the face. When that effort failed, he tried in vain to penetrate the surface, but that failed too.
The ugly result was McNamara skipping like a stone down the face, limbs flying, until the worst punishment came: The thick Maverick's lip came down and pulverized him. It doesn't get any scarier than that.
Frank Quirarte, a renowned big-wave photographer, witnessed the ordeal and on his Facebook page called it one of the most "horrendous wipeouts ever recorded."
UPDATE: McNamara underwent shoulder surgery on Friday, and while he's expected to miss the remainder of the 2016 big-wave season, he should be back.
Garrett McNamara Recovering after Maverick's Pummeling
WSL
Video courtesy @powerlinesproductions
Garrett McNamara is familiar with big-wave risks. The Hawaiian charger still holds the Guinness World Record for the largest wave ever surfed. But while surfing Maverick's on Thursday, January 7, McNamara was relying on pure paddle power alone to get down the face of some heavy monsters.
"Today was big, dark, ugly, scary, insane and unforgiving."
-- Photographer Frank Quirarte
With wild El Niño storm conditions ravaging the west coast, every big-wave break was dealing with residual bump, chunk, and chowder. Yet under the messy surface huge swells still beckoned the brave.
KTVU news highlighted footage from the Powerlines Production crew showing McNamara suffering a horrific wipeout. A close examination reveals McNamara getting hung up on takeoff, before airdropping down the face. When that effort failed, he tried in vain to penetrate the surface, but that failed too.
The ugly result was McNamara skipping like a stone down the face, limbs flying, until the worst punishment came: The thick Maverick's lip came down and pulverized him. It doesn't get any scarier than that.
Frank Quirarte, a renowned big-wave photographer, witnessed the ordeal and on his Facebook page called it one of the most "horrendous wipeouts ever recorded."
UPDATE: McNamara underwent shoulder surgery on Friday, and while he's expected to miss the remainder of the 2016 big-wave season, he should be back.
News
The 18-year-old Luke Tema rose to the occasion at Sunset Beach and now prepares for another formidable field once more.
No stranger to righthanders with his WSL Longboard Tour experience, Kaniela Stewart now awaits the first WSL Longboard Regional QS on the
Natalia Wunderlich earned her spot on the 2024 WSL Longboard Tour courtesy of this 9-point ride and now looks to push it on the North Shore
From a pair of 10-point rides courtesy of Kepa Mendia and Cannon Carr in the same heat to Taro Watanabe's 9.57, Day 2 was stacked.
Just when Day 2 was wrapping up from an action-packed Round of 64, Kepa Mendia and Cannon Carr closed it out with Perfect 10s to rattle