SURF'S UP!

[underpants]

Hawaiian Pete Cabrinha rides a 70-foot wave to win the title for the biggest wave ever ridden at Jaws in Hawaii in this undated handout photograph. The waves have been nicknamed Cyclops, Jaws and Dungeons and are the new life-and-death playground for a unique breed of surfers who ride gargantuan ocean waves as big as a seven storey building. (Billabong/Erik Aeder/Handout/Reuters)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060919/lf_nm/australia_surfing_dc_1

After being mowed down by a wall of water Cater was hit by three massive waves and dragged 200 meters (yards), or more than a football field, underwater. One wave pushed him so deep he was forced to equalize his ears twice.

"The impact is full-on. You get rag-dolled, you do cartwheels and ripped around violently. You just have to relax and try and enjoy it," says a laughing Cater. "As soon as you fight it, that's when you start to loose your breath and panic."

But there have been near drownings as surfers looking like fleas fly down giant waves, feet strapped to tiny boards, with a flotation vest to counter the tonnes of crashing water that will hit them if they wipe-out.

Injuries range from broken ribs and legs to torn muscles to ruptured blood vessels which leave surfers coughing up blood.

[datasuspect]

1. gnarly dude

[commander bunnypants]

2. Holy Sheet!!!!

and to think a 4 foot wave about killed me on Monday


:wow: :applause:


CB

[matcom]

3. that dude on the wave runner is a FREAK!

:scared:

[Bucky]

4. I'll bet it's Hasselhoff

True story: When a surfer dude wipes out, the Hoff give artificial respiration to his girlfriend.