“My Board Broke in Like Three Pieces”: Surfing Sensation, Who Received a Massive Contract at 13, Faced Terrorizing Situation in Front of His Friends

Defying age, chasing waves, and making it to the spotlight, is what the Hawaiian surfer Eli Hanneman has been doing since he was just a 12-year-old. Now, 20, Hanneman has framed a series of accolades on his wall of fame. His first significant achievement came when he was just 13, as he received his first-ever surfing contract from Red Bull. Since then, he has been unstoppable. However, in his pursuit of trouncing big barrels, he once ended up falling prey to a brutal wipeout.

In 2021, while surfing Valentine’s Wave swell in Hawaii along with his friends, a massive barrel took Hanneman by surprise and its crest pummeled the surfer ferociously. What came next is the sight of a vicious wipeout and ceaseless efforts from the surfer. 

Eli Hanneman recalls one of the most feral wipeouts of his life

Recently, the 20-year-old appeared in an episode of The Jamie O’Brien podcast, where he profoundly talked about his personal and professional fronts. Describing Valentine’s swell wipeout, the surfer stated, “All my friends are like 10 ft. in front of me and I swear I got the biggest sandbar I’ve ever seen on my head”. He continued, “It landed on me and all my friends barely made it and I got smoked, and my board broke in like three pieces”.

Things went further downhill when another wave barrel hit the surfer and broke his leash in the process. However, his coping mechanism kicked in and he started swimming toward the shore. Wave torrents hindered his path because the current was in the opposite direction to that of the surfer’s swimming strokes. “I was like at this shoreline like could touch and then the current sucked me back out”, recalled the 20-year-old. 

The surfer’s attempts to swim back to the coastline went in vain, as another barrel came in and once again smashed the surfer right into the water. However, after some time, the lifeguards helped Hanneman to get back to the safety of the shore. As he got back, “everyone was cheering for me that I was alive”. However, given the intensity of the incident, many would have called it quits right there, but not Hanneman.

Read More: Terrifying Video of One of the Most Dramatic Rescues in Surfing Resurfaces Showing Duo ‘Knocked Into’ Churning White Water

He was physically stigmatized, but he refused to let that mishap become an obstacle to his surfing spree. Following the incident, he went back to his car, took another surfboard, and went back to the ocean to chase the giant swell. Hanneman conceded, “I went for it and it worked…I’m glad that I did it”.

WATCH THIS STORY – “Definitely Gonna Be a Hazard”: 2021 Viral Video of a Group Ladder Surfing in Hawaii Will Leave You Stunned

Though it was one brutal surfing mishap, Eli Hanneman’s exceptional moxie catapulted his drive to reach the pinnacle of the wave. He indeed holds rather an optimistic perspective, don’t you agree?