Wipeout from hell: James Hollmer-Cross at Pedra Branca
"It was absolutely the heaviest thing that's ever happened to me," said James Hollmer-Cross, the trauma of the beating still written across his face.
"I thought I was actually gonna die. I almost passed out but I fought it. I came through...it was pretty euphoric actually."
Last Sunday was an eventful one for James. Together with his brother Tyler, winner of the recent Oakley Big Wave Award, and the rest of the Tassie madmen they surfed huge Pedra Branca near the southern edge of Tasmania's continental shelf.
This is only one of the waves ridden on Sunday. Find out how to see more by liking Tim Bonython - Swell Chaser's Facebook page. Filming season for the next Australian Surf Movie Festival has begun!
Postscript: James suffered a broken leg, fractured tibia, and ligament tears from this wipeout. He'll be out of the water for three months. See comments below for more info.
Comments
Fuck heavy shit, not wearing a Dorian flotation vest ?.........
pretty euphoric actually...James you were on your way to the otherside.
Hard men those Tassie lads..
He looked like he was styling up till the critical moment.
I cannot fathom what must actually go through your head on a wipeout like that. Gnarly.
Fingers in a packet of drum? Nothing like a rolly after a near deff experience
What must Mr & Mrs Hollmer Cross think every time they see their sons go off to surf. Seriously, it's like a Tasmanian version of Saving Private Ryan.
Fuck
what do i have to do too watch it, all i get is a black screen with audio, any suggestions
Not sure. Hard refresh, maybe? Restart computer. Change browser.
It's working at this end.
You will likely be missing a codec.
There are many different kinds of video format out there and each one has its own codec, which is a file explaining to your computer how the picture and/or sound has been encoded.
Google for a mega pack of codecs, they're free, just be careful as usual not to click an ad download or pick up a scummy site's virus.
Save the codec pack that works so that if you reinstall your OS you can easily reinstall the codecs too.
That is a BEATING.............lucky to come out the other side. Heavy.
I think the euphoria he's talking about is that he is still alive to tell the story...typical adrenalin junkie syndrome!!
Ya think the PC boys would paddle that at MC?
what about you Caml? You think you could knife into that like Shane Dorian at Jaws?
The word is, it was moving thick and fast, more like a slab than a big wave!
interested on others thoughts
Adrenalin junkie syndrome for sure, live to tell another story, good work, big cags as sheepdog would say.
Watching where he gets caught up, the nose bogs....?
Lateral flex maybe could of come into play to take those lumps out and speed bumps out at such speed...! Thats only IMO.
Applevania for sure,
Rock on fellas :)
Jeez
Considering what Stu said that JHC told him on the phone, just below, perhaps flex isn't the way to go. Isn't the reasoning behind a tow board...: At those speeds, small surface area + heavier than usual weight pierces a line through any chop, across and down the face?
Also, when you talk about comparisons to snowboards; is there the assumption that:
these boards are designed for and tested in perfect, deep powder?
Ive heard jimbo broke his leg from that wipeout . He looks okay in that clip though . Think his board snapped whilst riding it thats why he fell over board
Exactly
Southern lord no its not on my list of places to paddle surf. If the period was less with ultra clean conditions it can be done
Lucky he had those bandaids.
Why would ya? Have spent a reasonable amount of time out there fishing, as a decky on the very vessel that takes these gents out there. Have watched that wave breaking (nowhere even close to this size though) and that'd be frightening enough, without even taking into account the sea life that hangs around down there, which is no bullshit story. They're mad those guys. I wouldn't dip my little toe in the water out there.
is that true Stu..his bd broke??
I have been watching the clip and cannot for the life of me work out what happened...there was a bit of a lump before he fell....but they're used to the jump at Shippies.....hmmmm tres strange!!
heard brief story that maybe board broke or creased before this particular ride (but isn't aware) and then due to the pressures board snaps at crucial moment and jim goes over .
Just got off the phone to James. Let's start with the injury list:
Broken leg
Partial ligament tears
Fractured tibia
What he thinks happened to the board is this. There was a wave five minutes earlier that he got towed into and at the last minute pulled back on. I've seen it on video and it's like The Right on steroids(!), if he committed to that wave the injury list would be more serious reading. Anyway, he pulled off the back but the next wave mowed through and took his board. They hopped on the ski and found his board at the end of the reef, then motored back out to the takeoff. The wave in the video came through almost straight away.
From the get go he said his board didn't feel right. "It usually sticks to the face, but it was bouncing where it shouldn't have been."
He believes it was creased or copped some sort of damage that compromised its strength. That was why it was flexing and bouncing, and why he come a'gutser on a small piece of chop.
The downside? Three months out of the water during the prime swell season.
@ patty , if you look closely ... I'm pretty sure he's not going for the durries / rollies ... and to make sense of it , it looked like he was scratchin' at the painkillers , any wonder with the injury list ....
kind of shows importance of showing some caution , if ya equipment don't feel right ....
these guys should be packing the boat with those green sticks the ambo's use ....
I don't think they would be rushing to give a pack of surfers green whistles..
Lots of major surf missions these days take along qualified lifeguards, who have access to this kinda thing. I reckon it's a bloody good idea to have someone on board each trip who knows what they're doing.
surely jim wouldn't smoke , not a big wave animal like him
stu you've seen the pics , surely you wouldn't call it 20ft like ben did ,what you reckon ?
I reckon I don't want to get into a size dispute! I'm terrible at calling size anyway, add to that a lurching, deformed slab and the size could be anywhere within a 20ft bracket.
I don't know...
Caml, just to clarify - that wave is bigger than anything I was sent prior (I only saw a couple of raw images). That wave of James' is around 25ft in my books. But remember - this is not a face feet measurement (it seems to be 40-45ft on the face, rough guestimate).
haha you were quik to pass on that one stu . get ben to argue about it please , no joking ! forget it
I'd go with the 20-25ft range. Looks 7-8x overhead and James is a big unit.
OK, Ben's answered...the need for diplomacy is over - ha!
I reckon it was 30 feet. Straight up. That's my call.
How big would you call it Camel?
ben , craig & stu ....
are you guys in the same office ATM ...
if so , does it feel weird to converse only by keyboard within the one room , about waves 1,500 Km's away ???
its a weird wave to be discussing height on anyway , as you can see from the aerial footage , there's very little back to it ....
7M+ ....
We're all in different locations today southey.
Haha no they weren't durries, that was a packet of pain killers. Never fell out there and been going out for 6 years, I still don't know why I bogged and fell. (Like stu said my board copped an absolute hiding on the set before) Strange things happen when you surf strange waves I guess.
Massive kudos to you just for committing James. I've got a feeling you're going to be asked to relive that wipeout over and over, and for your sake I hope one of those occasions is on a stage in Anaheim, CA.
"And the winner of the Billabong XXl wipeout of the year is..."
Might get some money to pay for the medical bills!
How long were you under??? Howd you break your leg, was it the lip or caught in the strap?? Cant wait to see the rest of the footage
James, if you need a tibial nail, the best orthopeadic guy for ankle lower leg in OZ is Andrew Wines, he's in Mater hospital Sydney. Just google him. Surprisingly quick rehab. Glad you are still alive, congrats.
Jim wattya mean you dont know why u bogged an fell? Didnt board snap?
25+..... Would love to see it in real time.... Slo mo can be deceptive re' wipeouts. Sometimes just a small catch on a chop can fuck you over. Unbelievable , James.... Hats off to ya'.......
ps- any photo's sydney sider? ;)
Ben thats ok if you hadnt seen the pics of the set wave bombs . I saw pics that the biggest set waves were about 30ft plus. But i usually dont call size in feet , i only commented becos i thought u were undercalling it . Sorrell bouy had max height of ten metres with about 17-18 sec . Right at the time they were surfing . Thats the measurement id use . Of course taking into account bathymetry and effects of a long p swell upon that reef , which makes it bigger again
Watching that gave me shivers and tingles down my spine.
i've gotta stop viewing these images on my work computer .... wider screen with ratios better setup to read drawings .... so at first it looked a little underwelming compared to what i expected ... now at home ... wwwoooaaaaa ...... lucky James .... trust me a broken back is not cool in a remote spot . definitely would need the whistle then ...
Yeah camel my board was in two bits but Its hard to see any crease in the raw files zoomed in? All I know is it didn't feel right coming into the wave..
Yep gotcha jim theres no way you can be sure now cos it was in two after that . And also you didnt know your leg was broken at first ? Glad you survived jim and get back out there soon champ
Hey James, if you feel inclined to share, there's probably only a handful of blokes in this world that would ever experience such a wipeout, could you give us a rundown of what it's like to live through something like that? Is it really as bad as it looks? Is it worse? What goes through your mind or is your mind clear? Does time stand still?
You mentioned euphoria? I could only imagine it's the chemical reaction from the adrenaline coursing through you and slowly dissipating?
I'm sorry to press you, but as a bloke who comes up blubbering going over the falls on a 6 footer, I would love and I'm sure many others would like to know, what it's like in that situation.
Thanking you in advance.
Yeah james we want the interview . If you dont do it we put ya on the list of "underground heroes"
That's is something.
I suppose there are always situations we should pull back from, except we don't know it till after. All the best for the recovery james, may it pass quickly.
"What must Mr & Mrs Hollmer Cross think every time they see their sons go off to surf."
The answer to this one (as James and Ty's dad) for me is as follows:
Tyler and James are grown men who make choices and I respect the choices they make. They are both highly experienced and evolved surfers who do a number of things to mitigate the risk taken in surfing such waves:
* They get to know the conditions and wave as much as possible prior to surfing it
* Both maintain excellent fitness levels
* They have a solid line of communication with each other when towing or paddling
* They wear good quality floatation devices that enables quicker surfacing and are in the process of purchasing the latest floatation technology
* They have participated in Surf Lifesaving auspiced water based rescue programs
* They maintain all other equipment, including their jet ski, so that it is in good working order and can be relied upon
* They are prepared to back off and say no to a situation that there experience tells them is untenable - i.e the risks they take are as calculated as possible
* They both keep their egos and heads in the right zone for what they are doing
Their Mum isn't alive anymore but she backed them fully in what they were doing ... she was like that with them.....thankfully Sonya had the opportunity to be boated to Shipstern on an occasion and watch Ty catch a few - she told me that it was one of the greatest moments of her life.
That all said, I am their parent and I am a surfer and fully comprehend the enormity of what they are undertaking. I have concerns and I do worry and we speak , assess and reflect before and after every trip.......I've come to the conclusion that it's just not right to let my concerns/fears take precedence over their love and passion for the sort of surfing they do - if they keep going I'll be proud of them and love them and when it's all done and dusted I'll be proud of them and love them.
In the end they are doing it what they love doing and full credit to them for living life this way.
* Also by way of clarification - James' injuries are......damaged tibia with the bone still intact (no broken leg), multiple small tears to both anterior and medial ligaments and meniscus cartilage damage - at this stage no surgery is required though this will need to be re-assessed in regard to the cartilage once swelling has subsided.
Great post, Mike. Appreciate you took the time.
Also glad to hear the injuries aren't as bad as first reported!
Thanks for the reply Mike. I wrote the initial comment and wasn't expecting such a considered response. Clearly you're aware of the consequences, and clearly you're proud of what they do. Long may you boys run.
Good comments mike but they are doing this without dedicated safety crew and if they really love it would they be doing it without a camera crew?
Mike Cross
Your lucky to have such outstanding dedicated boys, You must be proud ah......:)\
Must of had good sperm in them ball bags thats for sure.
Cheers up Mike
Thanks heaps for the response young fella.
:)
stickeyson ,
I'm pretty sure that the cameras pay for the boat ...
the day you paddle from the nearest bay and surf this spot " paddle in " , is the day i try to get wipped in at the same spot without a board .
The 'wipeout from hell' video has been watched 125,000 times worldwide so far, and it's yet to get a run on Surfline or any other US site.
"Good comments mike but they are doing this without dedicated safety crew and if they really love it would they be doing it without a camera crew?"
James and Tyler pay their own way without any financial support/ they both are recipients of product support and only pick up some dollars if they win an Oakley or Billabong XXL...and that's it .
They would and do surf when there are cameras present and when there are not cameras present. Obviously there are cameras on Pedra trips but, having spoken to them both in detail about the surfing the break and having an understanding of how surfing is so central to their existence, know that they would surf the wave regardless of any product support or media exposure. One wouldn't question their motivation if there was any real understanding of them as human beings.
The matter of a safety crew is really pertinent - this has been discussed and there is a realisation that a qualified, well equipped medic or paramedic really needs to be in situ at Pedra. My understanding is that there have been a veritable handful of trips made to this break - it has only been surfed 5 or so times - so knowledge is still being developed. Injuries have occurred in each instance and it has become clear that this place - both in regard to the ferocity of the wave and in regard to the remoteness of its location - presents safety issues that require risk management above and beyond that of other locations, including Shipstern Bluff.
Unreal, James! Here's to your speedy recovery.
Thanks for the insight, too, Mike.
Ripper wave guys!
good insight renotopia.....
couple of questions here:what sort of head protection do those guys use?does anyone out there know of a really good,affordable, extreme sports helmet thats suitable for surfing,other than the Gath?