The moment surfer takes on 41-foot monster wave... and lives to tell the tale

DailyMailonline ^ | 07th November 2008 | Wil Longbottom

[AmericanMade1776]

A daredevil surfer is pictured tackling a giant 41 foot wave in a bid to win himself a prestigious award. Kerby Brown took on the monster during a session at a top secret reef, and nearly didn't live to tell the tale. Moments after these pictures were taken, he suffered a devastating wipeout which nearly killed him.

He said: 'Usually the wave never steps out or goes evil like that one, but it just went dry - the hardest wave I've ever had to surf. 'I went straight over over the lip and did about 10 backflips and then pulled a muscle in my shoulder. 'It felt like I ripped my arm out of its socket, my leggie snapped and then I felt like I was the deepest I'd ever been.'

[AmericanMade1776]

Here is Kirby Brown , taken a year ago surfing videos.. before the BIG ONE>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ON22x5En8bo

[3AngelaD]

Awesome dude. I have a bunch of “Endless Summer” movies and videos I watch over and over.

[WellyP]

Just like going over “The Brink” on “The Birds of Prey”! What a ride!

[FrogMom]

The video says it’s in Tahiti.

[fightinJAG]

There is a lot of power behind the lot of water behind that wave.

[fightinJAG]

Talk about acres of foam. Wowzer.

[Cyman]

Hard to believe those pictures after having fished the Cortes Banks several times.Great fishing but after seeing those monsters, I don’t know if I want to go back

[fightinJAG]

Imagine the deafening, rumbling roar.

[chris37]

Quoted from teahupoo's wiki page: "Teahupoʻo (commonly mispronounced as Chopu) is a world-renowned surfing location off the south-east of the island of Tahiti, French Polynesia, southern Pacific Ocean. It is known for its heavy, glassy waves, often reaching 2 to 3 m (7 to 10 ft) and higher. It is the site of the annual Billabong Pro Tahiti surf competition, part of the World Championship Tour (WCT) of the ASP World Tour professional surfing circuit and used to be one stop in the World Tour of the International Bodyboarding Association. Teahupo'o (or 'Chopes as it is sometimes called) is a deadly reef break. It is mainly left-breaking, but the outer reef also creates right breaks that surfers must be cautious of when paddling out. Teahupo'o is also renowned for the consistent number of barrels it delivers. It is a rewarding location and is widely regarded as being on the 'must-surf' list of every enthusiastic surfer. However, only experienced surfers in peak physical condition should attempt Teahupo'o; heavy waves combined with a shallow shoreline can result in serious injuries and even death in a wipeout." Teahupoo is in Tahitii, and it looks like right breakers do occur occasionally.

[wtc911]

It looks like a wave called The Box in Western Australia. It sucks out like that all the time. I’ve never seen it that big though.

[skeeter]

One has only to spend a few seconds in a relatively small breaking wave to understand the power.

[wtc911]

The wave looks like a spot called The Box in Western Australia. It always sucks out like that but never that big.

[AmericanMade1776]

He said it just went dry up under him all the sudden. ..he survived barely.

[jdub]

Teahupoo is in Tahiti (see top of vid) and it breaks left, not right. I too thought it looked like that break though.

[fightinJAG]

I’ve actually felt the “quake” even while standing on the beach.

[chris37]

wiki says teahupoo occasionally produces a right breaker on the outer reef, but I have no way of knowing if that is true or not. It definitely looks like a circular reef though.

[Mr. Jeeves]

One has only to spend a few seconds in a relatively small breaking wave to understand the power.

Ankle-deep at Coronado Beach in San Diego is plenty for me. ;)

[wtc911]

There are a few reefs around that suck out like that at the right tide. I've surfed a couple, Inches in PR was always scary at low tide.

I've been out in double overhead at lots of places but I never even saw anything as hairy as that.

[skeeter]

Me too, these days. With a Margarita.

[wtc911]

Teahupoo is a left.