Eimeo Czermak is raising money to help pay his hospital bill after a wipeout at the Pipe Masters. Photo: GoFundMe
Eimeo Czermak, the 20-year-old tube riding phenom from Tahiti, is in dire financial straits after a wipeout at Pipeline put him in the hospital with injuries to his head and spine. Now, he’s appealing to the public to help pay his hospital bill.
The wipeout, which occurred during the 2023 Vans Pipe Masters, was on an 8-10-foot wave. He aborted the take off, then was sent head first into the reef. It can be seen in the second slide of an Instagram post put online a few days later.
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“This was probably one of the hardest and scariest moments of my life,” Czermak wrote. “I don’t know if I can even talk about what happened after I left the contest, so I’m gonna keep it to myself, but I’m so happy and grateful to be alive and looking forward to healing. I am really disappointed in myself for what I’ve shown in this contest. It’s really hard for me to accept but it is what it is and at the end of the day I came so close to losing everything, but I’m alive and gonna be able to walk again hopefully soon so that’s what matters.”
Czermak was taken to the hospital immediately, where tests revealed damage to his spinal cord and a severe concussion. “I’m grateful for the Hawaiian Water Patrol and team of lifeguards that brought me to shore but once arriving on shore, I realized I didn’t know where I was and couldn’t remember what was happening,” he explained. “Shortly after, they put me in a stretcher and a neck brace. That was when the adrenaline wore off and I felt intense pain on my spine and couldn’t feel my legs.”
For the next week and a half, Czermak couldn’t feel or move his legs. As of this writing, he is still dealing with the after effects of the wipeout. But the physical damage to his body isn’t his only worry — the hospital bill is a big one. And, according to his GoFundMe campaign, if he can’t pay it, he won’t be allowed back into the United States, a place very important to his career as a professional surfer.
“I’ve never been one to ask people for money or help, but this situation unfolded without my control and has put me and my surfing career in a very difficult position,” he wrote. “The combination of the ambulance ride, hospital stay, MRI, and other tests, ended up costing me $55,000. If I’m unable to pay back the hospital bills, I won’t be allowed to return to the United States or surf in Hawaii again since I am from Tahiti (French Polynesia).”
Hawaii plays an important role for any pro surfer. “This is heartbreaking for me because Hawaii is like a second home to me and has played a huge role in growing my career because of the major contests I’ve been able to compete in there,” Czermak continued. “If I’m unable to return to Hawaii, it’ll have a huge negative impact on my surfing career.”
This season has been a particularly dangerous one at Pipeline. Koa Rothman nearly died there with a wipeout that ended in 21 stitches to his face, and Joao Chianca was knocked unconscious at Pipe just a few days prior.
You can support Czermak’s road to recovery on GoFundMe here.
