“Honestly, after I hit my head at Pipe, and I watched my best friend fight for his life, I probably would have told you I think I’m just going to sit back–I think my winter’s [come] to an end,” says Billy Kemper below, in part 3 of T&C’s new profile series on the big-wave surfer. During the course of the 2022-2023 winter season, Kemper tore his MCL and suffered a concussion after being knocked unconscious as Pipe.
No one would bat an eye if Kemper decided to take a break after two serious consecutive injuries. But Kemper isn’t one to back down from a challenge.
When the Eddie Aikau Invitational got the green light to run back in January, Kemper put all his winter hiccups behind him and decided to compete in the prestigious event with his family and peers cheering for him on the sidelines. On what would be deemed one of the biggest days the Bay has seen in quite some time, Kemper rallied and earned himself a fourth-place finish.
Click play above to watch Kemper recount the mind space he was in before, during, and after one of the most watched events in big-wave history.
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