7-Year-Old Surfer Wipes Out at Super Sketchy Slab Wave (Video)
What were you doing at seven years old?
Probably still learning how to read, practicing basic math skills, attempting to color within the lines, and avoiding foods like broccoli as opposed to pizza at all costs.
Well, Australian Sani Hellman is not like most seven-year-olds.
In his latest clip, Sani is seen charging a super heavy, super shallow slab, pulling into death tubes with reckless abandon. Although, he is wearing a helmet for good measure. He didn’t make it out of any of the tubes, but the commitment (especially for his age) is commendable. "I learnt that big barrels are more fun than little barrels," he wrote in another post. "I also learnt that they come at a cost with some big beat downs."
At the beginning of the clip, Sani says:
“Those are the heaviest waves I’ve ever surfed of my life.”
They’d be some of the heaviest waves most people would’ve ever surfed, regardless of age or experience, too. Not just for a seven-year-old.
Surf world heavyweights chimed in on the comments to applaud the young charger:
“PowerSending little legend.” – Nathan Florence
“Mad dog!” – Noa Deane
“Charging Grommie” – Barton Lynch
Hailing from Ulladulla on Australia’s East Coast, Sani has been a small blip on the surf radar for quite some time – thanks to his charging well beyond his years.
And in an interview with SurfYogis, then six-year-old Sani gave advice for his fellow young guns and his goals for the future:
“I would say skate first, and if you get really good at skating you can start surfing on a foamie. Go straight, and then you can start going sideways but don’t lean too much on a foamie. And when you start on a fiberglass you have to just stand there, and then when you get on a smaller board your dad will teach you how to do amazing turns like carves and laybacks and stuff. And then your mum or dad will teach you how to do airs. And then you might be able to get a world title.”
A World Title in the future? Keep an eye on this kid.
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