In early December João Chianca took off on a mean double up at Backdoor, ate shit on the drop, took multiple waves on the head afterwards, and was knocked unconscious underwater. He suffered a fracture, concussion, and bleeding in the brain.
Very serious, and very scary.
The accident sent him to the hospital for two weeks, and ultimately resulted in Chianca withdrawing from the 2024 CT season to rehabilitate his brain and body.
So, when does Chianca think he’ll be back?
“I want to be 100% [be back] by the Olympics,” Chianca told STAB in a very good interview. “But this injury has taught me that I can’t put dates on anything. The process is still delicate. Every day is a victory, but there are also defeats. You can go five steps forward, and the next day you might do two backward. I’m learning to be patient with myself and not push it too hard. I will need to be patient and understanding with myself through this process. I don’t know exactly when it will be, but sometime soon I will be ready to be a full-time competitor. Hopefully in another month or two, I’ll be ready for everything.”
In the meantime, click play for Chianca’s North Shore highlight reel from before the accident.
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