Shredding Calf Muscle Is Decidedly Not Stoked

By Chris Mottram
[img=http://aycu24.webshots.com/image/34663/2002289811728270423_rs.jpg]
Big wave surfers Laird Hamilton and Brett Lickle were reaching epic levels of righteousness in Hawaii this week. With the assistance of a jet ski tow-in from Lickle, Laird was surfing 80-foot waves, when one crashed on both of them. The result wasn’t pretty.
[quote="Honolulu Star-Bulletin"]“We’d had a pretty clear zone to get out, but the area where we normally get out was all white water. A 20-foot closeout,” Lickle said. “We realized we weren’t going to make it, and eventually the thing caught up and just annihilated me.”
Along with that pounding, the thin, aluminum fins of a tow-in board severed Lickle’s calf muscle. Blood gushed into the ocean.
“The whole calf has been ripped in half, just hanging there,” Lickle said. “Then, all the sudden, Laird shows up. He had a long-sleeved wet suit on. He tore that off and used the sleeve as a tourniquet.”
“Now I’ve got to worry about the big boy,” Lickle said, meaning sharks.[/quote]
Laird managed to fight the surf, swim to the jet ski about 15 minutes away and tow the two back to the beach. Fifty-six staples later, and Lickle is expected to make a full recovery.
As for Laird, his overly attractive, famous wife should help him recover from this traumatic experience. Maybe you recognize her.
> 80-Foot Wave Crushes Laird Hamilton | Sports by Brooks
> Big-Wave Surfer Recounts Harrowing Survival | Honolulu Star-Bulletin
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Chris Mottram is the Community Manager for SportingNews.com and is the co-author of his personal blog Mr. Irrelevant.↵