This last winter, big-wave surfer Billy Kemper suffered back-to-back injuries. At the Pipe Masters, he took a nasty spill and ended up getting drilled into the reef, which led to a grade-2 MCL tear in his left knee. Fast forward to the Backdoor Shootout at the beginning of 2023–when the waves were firing on all cylinders–Kemper took a wave on the head, knocking him unconscious and delivering a host of other injuries. The new edit from T&C–part 2 of a 3-part series–outlines Kemper’s string of unlucky mishaps.
“It was definitely a situation that was new to my family,” Kemper says. “I mean I’ve never been pulled out of the water unconscious like that. To have it happen at home in front of all my friends my family, my wife, and my sponsors. It was rough. It took a toll.”
After all of his injuries, Kemper mustered up the courage to compete in the historical Eddie Invitational, where he earned a 4th place result. To hear more about Kemper’s winter-long roller coaster, click play on the edit below.
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