Jason Magers died on Monday in California. Photo: Facebook
The surfing world lost yet another legend this week. Jason Magers died Monday in California. He was 50 years old.
Magers was well known on the North Shore. Although he’d already become a staple in lineups, his reputation was largely cemented after one session at Waimea in January of 1998. It was during a swell that changed the face of surfing–a swell clocking in at 27 feet and 21 seconds was hammering the North Shore. It was so big the Eddie was called off. It was so big that Waimea was closing out across the bay, and for the first time ever, the beach was closed. Magers grabbed a board, ducked the police, and attempted to paddle out. While what actually happened that day is up for debate–according to some, he caught one wave before taking all of Waimea on the head and being washed to shore–there is no doubt that his attempt was proof that Magers, perhaps more than anyone else, had the Eddie Would Go mentality. After enduring a beatdown that probably should have killed him, Magers left the beach in handcuffs and entered into legend status.
“He was a madman,” Liam McNamara told Hawaii News Now. “He set the stage and paved the way for surfers who came after him. He was a hero my brother and I wanted to emulate.”
Magers, who grew up on Oahu, was larger than life. By 15, he was on the cover of Surfer Magazine, and it seemed as though a career in surfing was a given. In and out of the water, Magers was respected, both for his talent and his personality. “You can see a difference between surfers who had a connection,” McNamara continued. “It takes talent to be a good surfer, and Jason had that gift with Mother Nature.”
He did, however, struggle with addiction, like many who are attracted to a dangerous lifestyle. That didn’t change the fact that Magers was a loving and passionate man who looked out for the people he loved.
“I want people to know that he loved his friends. He was loyal. He cared, probably more than he cared about himself, that’s my thought,” McNamara said. “I’ll miss him. He was the guy who would take off his shirt for you. He was a kid who went after what he wanted. He should be remembered as a legend.”
The cause of Magers’s death is not yet known. Our sincerest condolences to the family, friends, and anyone affected by this tragedy.
