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.'

[mad_as_he$$]

Damn I had the wave for $20. I despise surfers.

Disclaimer: I lived in Santa Cruz for 20 years.

[UCANSEE2]

Here’s a video of a big one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlPqL7IUT6M&feature=related

[CollegeRepublican]

The color of the wave in these pictures is not right for Tahiti. Plus the outside rights at Teahupoo would take the surfer onto the dry reef and the camera man would not be able to get this shot. I am 95% certain that these pictures are from Shipstern Bluff in Tasmania.

[CollegeRepublican]

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1unp_shipsterns-bluff_extreme

[chris37]

yeah, I thought the water looked too dark as well, but I figured it could have been a stormy or cloudy day, or something along those lines. It really looks like the water was very choppy except at the barrel itself. In one of the pics, it looks like there is a wave on top of the main wave.

I have never seen pics or videos from the surf spot in tasmania that you mention, but I would love too as it appears that there is another reef that produces these type of remarkable waves. When I first saw footage of Teahupoo waves, I simply could not believe my eyes, nor could I believe that men surf them. I can only imagine what it must feel like to ride giants such as these.

[I Buried My Guns]

This is gonna sound crazy, but I googled Kerby Brown and found a photo sequence of him, supposedly in Australia, surfing what appears to be the exact same wave!

http://www.surfersvillage.com/surfing/35389/news.htm

The photographers are different, and one set of photos appears to be a split second behind the others, but it looks to be the same wave.