Well, I don’t even know where to begin on the series of events that have happened the past three days here. I have been hanging with a good crew of people this past week (Naomi; Django - Santa Cruz; Mike – Hawaii; Jeff – Hawaii; Justin – New Zealand; Andrew – England). Some of these people are new friends and some are old friends like Naomi, Justin, and Andrew.

So let me see how I can start this off. First of all, the waves have been MASSIVE, but just kind of a weird swell. Not your classic epic conditions. About three days ago I was getting out of the water at Imposssibles during low tide in which the water was moving very rapid on the inside reef. I ended up getting swept to the side and twisting my knee causing me to have a lot of pain and difficulty walking. As it turns out, Django studies acupuncture and ended up giving me the full treatment (including the knee). This was my first experience with acupuncture and I must say it was awesome. Very relaxing and healing! After my knee was feeling better I attempted surf the next day in some big conditions at Impossibles. It was definitely big and pounding, but not super clean. Kind of had to pick and choose your waves. Anyway, a massive set wave rolled in and everybody in the line-up was pretty much due for a serious pounding. As we all tried to paddle over it the wave ended up breaking in front of us and I was in the impact zone! Not a good feeling…. I tried to dive deep with my board as I try to never let go of it in such conditions, but the wave just worked me under water and pulled my board away from me. I ended up swallowing a bunch of water as I was spinning like being in the wash on a rinse cycle. Finally came up and I couldn’t really clear my throat to take another breathe of air as another massive wave was about to pound me again. I had to dive deep without air and this time I bailed my board since it all happened so fast. I just got tossed around so much under water and I was sill with no air since the first wave. I started to feel like I was going to pass out as a million thoughts of life were going through my head. I really thought at one point that I was going to drown. Finally came up so dizzy and confused to find another even bigger wave coming my wave. I hopped on my board and just started paddling as fast as I could but again took another beating. I did manage to get a big breathe of air this time. After that last beating, I decided I really wasn’t in the right frame of mind to stay out in the water. So as I was getting ready to leave, my friend Andrew (who owns Padang Padang Surf Camp) had just paddled out. Told him what had just happened and that I was on my way in. Next thing you know another set wave is coming our way and we pretty much had to dive threw it. Unfortunately, another surfer was dropping in on that wave in front of Andrew and ended up running him over. The other guy’s surfboard fins sliced through Andrews’s board as well as his foot. Andrew was wearing surf booties so you really couldn’t tell the extent of the injury to his foot. Once Andrew paddled back to the beach he took his bootie off and I almost got sick to my stomach once I saw the gash in his foot. He looked at it once and then soon after started to go into shock. We laid him down and another guy wrapped up the foot with a bandage. Then 6 of us had to carry him up (about 200 steps) the side of the cliff so that we could get him to a car and then to the hospital. As it turns out, they had to call in a special plastic surgeon to stitch it up and skin graph it since the cut was so deep as well as sliced at an angle. This was Andrews’s second surf since he arrived back in Bali. Just two days before on his first surf Andrew got washed up on the reef at Bingin and got pretty torn up on his back! I guess he’ll be taking a break for the next three weeks or so…

In addition to the above, here’s some more of the recent tragedies that have happened with this past Massive swell.
1. Four fishermen got washed off the rocks at Balangan by a wave and drowned. Most Indonesians do not know how to swim, including the fisherman.
2. Aussie Surfer lost his board in the surf at Impossibles. He was swimming in after he waved at his buddies that he was ok but never made it in. The Air Bali helicopter has been flying over the beach for the past few days looking for the body.
3. Another Aussie surfer washed up at Legian beach in Kuta. He couldn’t be revived.
4. I also just got word that two other surfers died at Uluwatu.

So, that’s short version of this weeks tragedies here in Bali. In many years of coming here, I have never heard of so many tragedies. It’s just been a reminder of how strong Mother Nature can be. I am taking the next few days off from surfing just to chill out and regroup.