World #4 Pro Surfer Joao Chianca in Stable Condition After Backdoor Wipeout and Rescue

Jade Eckardt
·2 min read
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Brazilian surfer Joao Chianca is alive.

As we reported last night, Chianca was hospitalized following a wipeout at Backdoor—the righthander at Pipeline—that knocked him unconscious.

Chianca was rescued from the water by North Shore lifeguards, brought to a hospital, and is now in stable condition, according to reports.

Volcom, one of Chianca's sponsors, took to Instagram late last night to wish him well and let the world know that he's in stable condition.

The wipeout took place right smack in front of the "Volcom House," located on the beach at Pipeline.

Volcom captioned the post above:

"Sending healing vibes and mana to our boy @joaochumbinho after taking a heavy wipeout at Backdoor today 🙏🏾❤️‍🩹 he’s in stable condition thanks to everyone who helped out"

Meanwhile, FreeSurf Magazine, a North Shore-based surf rag, did the same in the post below.

FreeSurf captioned the post above:

"@volcom surfer @joaochumbinho had a close call today when he airdropped from the top of Backdoor. Mahalo to the many surfers and @northshorelifeguardassociation who were there in seconds. Word is he is in stable condition."

The post shows several photos. The first shot shows Chianca airdropping feet first in front of a wave. In the next, his board is still in the air, but Chianca is nowhere to be seen.

Several shots of North Shore lifeguards pulling Chianca from the water and onto the beach are also in the post.

FreeSurf's publisher, Mike Latronic, added his thoughts in the comments:

"Major kudos to the surfers and water safety guards who assisted in this rescue 🙏🏼🤙🏼 and we all hope this superb athlete @joaochumbinho recovers completely and as fast as possible."

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