Photo: Life of Kai
Kai Lenny suffered one of surfing’s most high-profile head injuries in recent memory this past winter. The image of him in a hospital bed, his helmet cracked like an egg, is burned into our memories. It was jarring enough to elevate into a major headline because, let’s face it, wipeouts and injuries at Pipe are common but this one stood out. It was the first time Kai had ever worn a helmet at Pipe. And that fact undoubtedly made the reality of it all sink in.
Lenny is sharing more details about the concussion and how it impacted him after leaving the hospital. He experienced depression and a lack of interest in surfing, for example — a common side effect of serious head injuries. And his efforts to get back into the water weren’t just as simple as getting a thumbs up from his doctor. His wife Molly actually nudged him to go for his first swim after sensing depression was getting the best of him. Kai resisted at first but as anybody reading this can attest, even a quick dip in the ocean never fails to make things better.
Nathan Florence admits that injuries at Pipe are becoming more common these days. The crowds are always a contributing factor. To Molly Picklum, the wave is just unpredictable. The list could go on. But the fact is that people like Florence and other Pipe regulars are confronting the reality of head trauma and how life-changing it can be. From Mark Healey to Eli Hanneman, Billy Kemper, and more, there are plenty of wipeout stories from Pipe, and how injuries there have changed surfers over the years.
“It was a big eye opener to what’s possible at Pipeline,” Billy Kemper says. “The amount of helmets we’re gonna be seeing worn and just the level of safety is going to be very well lifted.”
