Great surfers like Kelly Slater make the feat of skimming down Tsunami-sized water walls look graceful and effortless.
But as the compilation video above featuring the World Surf League’s “Wipeout of the Year” nominees shows, when these guys bail, they bail HARD.
The clip kicks off with Santa Cruz surfer Wilem Banks totally losing it at the very top of a gigantic wave’s crest before falling at least twenty feet. Ouch.
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And then there’s poor old Danny Griffiths, who despite some seemingly choppy conditions, tried to ride a monster. After slicing straight through the the wave’s center, he was ultimately swept up in its massive barrel.
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But the worst of the worst comes from Portugal native Rafael Tapia. The sheer speed at which hits the water must have made the impact hurt like a bitch, but then the whole thing breaks on top of him. It’s definitely gnarly, and not in a good way.
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After watching these clips, there’s no doubting that surfers have some seriously massive cajones.
h/t: FTW