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.
McNamara will be sitting out the rest of the 2016 season, but he's vowing to be back. Photo courtesy Frank Quiararte - WSLKTVU 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
Ronnie, Flick, and Richie break down the latest rankings shake-ups as Jack Robinson wins another CT at home and Gabriela Bryan breaks
With surfing making its return to the Olympic stage this year in Paris, the WSL and NBC Sports have partnered on a new series that will
Evento, que tem como principal objetivo descobrir novos talentos para o surfe brasileiro, chega à terceira de cinco etapas em 2024 e
Featuring Gabriel Medina, Owen Wright, Matthew McGillivray, Jeremy Flores, Nathan Hedge, Jadson Andre, Kanoa Igarashi, Caio Ibelli, John
World's Best Surfers Look to Prove Themselves Ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, The Race for the Final Five Begins, Event Wildcards