Jamie Mitchell thought it was going to be a special day when competing in the 2019 Jaws Big Wave Championships last week in Maui, Hawaii, but instead it was a day to forget, and parts of it he did forget. Like during what he called “my worst wipeout ever.”
On Saturday, Surfer Today posted video of the wicked wipeout:
“It was not how I envisioned my day going,” the Australian surfer told Surfer Today. “I was 100 percent ready and thought it was going to be a special day for me. But Mother Nature had other ideas.
“I will say it was my worst wipeout ever. I hit so hard when I fell I’m not sure if I blacked out or not. But I remember getting sucked over and then was instantly on the bottom and pinned to the rocks on my back.
“There was so much intensity down there. I don’t even know how to explain it. Thank God it finally let me up, and I hit the surface with a second to spare before the next one mowed me.
“I saw stars after that. I tried to go back out and get back into the heat but I couldn’t see straight, and my balance was off. So, not the day I wanted.”
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For the record, Billy Kemper and Paige Alms, both Maui natives, won the men’s and women’s divisions with Kemper winning it for an unprecedented fourth time and Alms for the third time.
The event played out Thursday in 30- to 50-foot waves at Peahi.
Photo courtesy of Surfer Today and the World Surf League.