WATCH: Crazy Airdrop Wipeout from First-Time Amputee Surfer at Jaws
When he was 17 years old, Maui native Evan Strong was hit by a drunk driver while riding his motorcycle. As a result of his injuries, he lost his leg.
Already a sponsored skateboarder, Strong didn’t let his life-altering, limb-losing injury hold him back, with pursuits in snowboarding, surfing, and the aforementioned skateboarding. In fact, he’s a gold medalist in paralympic snowboarding.
Now, Strong has a new achievement to add to his list; although this one doesn’t come with a physical trophy, like a gold medal, but rather accolades of the symbolic variety, like immeasurable amounts of honor and respect.
The achievement in question? Paddling into a gigantic wave at Jaws with his prosthetic leg, sending it absolutely to the max, and airdropping into oblivion in a brutal, spectacular wipeout.
Commenting on the clip, Strong wrote:
“Exploring the unknown & finding out what is possible. I always like a good challenge, and the biggest one I can think of is Peahi. This is my first attempt padding in after a successful tow surfing session with my brother @kurtischongkee a few years back. I’ve been training hard to take it to the next step and got a good schooling from nature yesterday. Mahalo to all the water safety and the footage @acl_cinema 🤙🏽 Until next time… @adaptiveactionsports @teamtoyota #toyotapartner #adaptivesurfer #prosteticleg”
And the surf world commended Strong for his efforts:
“warrior! 💪🏽” – Maui big-wave charger, Tyler Larronde
“That was crazy 🔥” – surfer and scientist, Cliff Kapono
“Charging @evan_strong 💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾” – Maui native and one of the world’s foremost watermen, Kai Lenny
Inspiring stuff.
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