Surviving A Wipeout In The World's Biggest Waves With Kai Lenny
"Basically it feels like getting hit by a semi truck ... then ten guys with crowbars came out and beat me senseless," describes Kai Lenny of a wipeout he recently suffered at Jaws.
When the Black Friday swell bombarded Jaws, or Pe'ahi, over the Thanksgiving holiday, Lenny was one of the standouts, but that doesn't mean he survived the session unscathed. Thanks to his extreme physical training and preparation with his water safety team, which includes his tow partner and younger brother, Ridge, he's able to go into every session with a sense of confidence even when things inevitably go sideways.
Watch: How To Shatter Barriers At 50-Foot Jaws With Kai Lenny
Of course, that doesn't mean a heavy wipeout is something Lenny relishes. He understands what it means to be held underwater for an upwards of 60 seconds and just how serious things can get in the blink of an eye.
"That moment when you're going over backwards, it's absolutely terrifying," Lenny confides, describing the moment he was sucked over the falls of a giant wave while trying to rescue his surfboard.
Nobody ever said big-wave surfing was going to be easy, but luckily Lenny takes it with a grain of salt. He understands that to innovate the sport and take his performance to the next level he's going to have to pay some dues. One of the most dynamic big-wave riders in the world, it's fascinating to hear him talk about how he's able to keep his head even when he's being rag-dolled underwater.
"Its early in the winter, it's only December. January is typically the biggest month for big-wave riding here in Hawaii," surmises Lenny.
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With more than 25 years of writing about surfing, the ocean and action sports, Jake Howard continues to share stories, profiles and issues that shape the surfing world. One of the premier subject-matter experts in the field today, he's savvy in the ways of print, digital and social media, his breadth of work is expansive. Getting his start writing Surfline surf reports and recording the phone reports for 976-SURF in the late '90s, Jake served as the managing editor for Surfer Magazine in the early 2000s before moving on to launch RedBullSurfing.com and cover surfing for ESPN and the X Games. Over the years, Jake has also enjoyed time behind the edit desk at The Surfer's Journal, as well as the World Surf League, where he worked as the Senior Editor for a number of years. Beyond producing editorial content, Jake has served as a digital marketer and copywriter for iconic surf brands such as Quiksilver, Roxy and Rip Curl. Writing thousands of pages of copy for Surfline, he has deep SEO experience as well. The surf columnist for the San Clemente Times, Jake continues to dedicate himself to the culture and history of the sport through his involvement with the Surfing Heritage and Culture Center in San Clemente.