Ty Simpson-Kane went viral after riding off a harrowing wipeout at Peahi Beach, also known as Jaws. It was one dramatic video depicting his being flipped upside the surface five times before he vanished into the abyss below. Safety teams responded just in time, rescuing him, and Simpson-Kane rode again within a relatively short period.
Describing the experience, Simpson-Kane compared it to crashing into a brick wall at 80 mph, then doing cartwheels. “It’s almost as if you’re doing 80 in your car on the highway and then hitting a brick wall. and then deciding to do a bunch of cartwheels,” he told Hawaii News Now.
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NEW: Surfer survives brutal wipeout at Peahi beach (Jaws) on Maui’s north shore.
Surfer Ty Simpson-Kane was seen tumbling like a rag doll after falling off the board towards the top of the wave.
Simpson-Kane was seen submerging under the oceans surface before being saved by… pic.twitter.com/0zdLIIO07v
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) December 25, 2024
The incident prompted many reactions on social media. One X user wrote, “I did a lot of surfing in my life, and went through a few big wave wipe-outs—nothing that big, though. There’s nothing scarier than not knowing which way is up and running out of air while still being tumbled and crushed.
Another user commented, Absolutely wild and miraculous that S-K survived. Many others breathed a sigh of relief that Simpson-Kane was unharmed, referring to the footage as horrifying and awe-inspiring. Nothing beats Mother Nature.
Simpson-Kane spoke about the incident on Instagram. He said that nothing is more powerful than Mother Nature. He also shared, “Peahi was alive in all her glory and I still cannot believe that I got the chance to paddle to one wave. Thanks, guys. To my family and team, you all keep on supporting me, for it’s through all this that I couldn’t be done without your guys love and support. He also thanked the water safety teams and the photographers who captured the moments. To everyone that has called, texted, and messaged me to check in on me thank you. We’ve only just begun!,” he added.
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Having surfed Jaws since he was 13, Simpson-Kane is no stranger to the challenge. “I like to just go into the darkest part of my brain and just shut everything off,” he said.
