“Feel Like You’ve Been Hit by a Bus”: A Terrifying Surfing Accident Once Enabled a Renowned Artist to Build a 14 Million Fan Army

Understanding the ocean’s way is not everybody’s cup of tea. One cannot play with big blue waves without knowing them through and through. Even professional surfers often fall prey to the ocean. But, what happens when one is confident enough to tackle the ocean on his own? 

Sam Ryder is a British singer and songwriter, who also is a TikTok sensation. With widespread recognition through his musical prowess, has also earned him reverence from global music fanatics. However, behind his successful career lies a horrifying surfing anecdote. Ryder once had rather a distinctive yet ferocious encounter with the sea. And, that incident inspired him to build an army of 14 million fans on TikTok. Let’s dive deep into this surfing encounter.

The surfing incident that changed Sam Ryder’s life

As we all know, Hawaii is the hub for pro surfers. It features some of the world’s most ferocious waves for surfing, including the Pipeline wave. Five years ago, as per a report of BBC, the singer was on a vacation in Hawaii and he wanted to pursue his interest in surfing. However, while surfing, Sam’s board splintered into two and he was sucked in the ocean.

Elaborating on his experience, Ryder said, “It pushed me down so far into the water. And the turbulence of the water, the power, is incredible. Fighting against it, you feel like you’ve been hit by a bus”. Although the experience was terrifying, Ryder was rescued and immediately transferred to the hospital. As per the report, it took him a week to fully recover from the tragic incident.

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The accident made Ryder to wonder about his life choices. Based on the report, Sam learned the golden rule of surfing. He said, “Obviously, the golden rule in surfing is ‘never underestimate the sea’, but until it goes wrong, you can’t fathom it.” 

Sam made some life-altering choices after the accident

After the horrific incident, the TikTok personality decided to never surf again in his life. Ryder stuck to his genuine passion for singing and songwriting. “I was like, ‘You can’t do the thing you love most, which is music and singing if you’re at the bottom of the sea‘”, added Ryder. Following the incident, Ryder followed his zest for singing and became one of the best singers and lyricists in the industry. And now, his fandom has surpassed the mark of 14 million.

Ryder’s involvement in the fatal accident followed by his wise decision to follow his true metier made all the difference. And, the important takeaway is that if one does not know their way around the ocean, then one should not pursue it. Although it was a good day for Sam, it might not be good for everyone.

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Have you ever faced a similar conundrum? Tell us in the comments.