The waves at Backdoor has been really good recently. I was watching it over and over getting ready to motivate myself to go out there to get one. Then the news about last years Pipeline Masters finalist Joao Chinca getting rescued came in.
This is the wave Joao got hurt on. These wipeouts look more dangerous than it actually is. Surfers do this on purpose when they feel like they won’t make the drop. It’s planned and well rehearsed. You jump from the top feet down, then calculate the way you penetrate the ocean by the ocean depth. At deep spots like Haleiwa or Sunset, you can penetrate deep. BUT, at Backdoor where it’s very shallow, you want to penetrate just enough to get you under the wave without jackknifing into the reef. This is actually relatively safe. BUT, Joao somehow got knocked unconscious and got held down for a few waves. Maybe hitting his head from the reef, or probably from his board? Lucky everybody watches out for each other out there so the boys jumped in when they didn’t see him resurface.
When they grabbed him, the was unconscious and turned blue. Thankfully the lifeguards brought him back to life on the beach and he will live to get barreled again. I had chicken skin when I saw this video because that’s my nephew Seth Moniz helping out. All surfers that surf Backdoor know that any wave out there could be the last wave of your life. The risks are there, but the reward always win. Hoping Joao a speedy recover before the Pipeline Masters coming up.
