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“Lucky to Limp Away With Just Torn Ligaments”: Lethal Nature of Surfing Remains Largely Unaffected by Predicting Tech

Published 03/10/2023, 2:44 PM EST

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No matter how amazing surfing looks from a layman’s perspective, it is still a highly risky sport. However, through the years, it has advanced on the technicality front that make it comparatively safer for surfers to ride the biggest waves. One such is surf wave prediction. Although it is not a full-proof technology, an Australian documentary once shared the story of a surfer who got away with just torn ligaments.

Recently, a YouTube channel named 60 Minutes Australia shared several stories of extreme surfing on uncharted waves. Amongst them, there was a story of a surfer named Ross who experienced a mild injury while surfing.

Here’s why surf prediction is not a completely safe practice

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Surf prediction is a forecast which is done by using offshore swell data to predict onshore wave conditions. Apart from professional surfers, meteorological departments also use it to determine the weather.

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A recent Australian documentary revealed that for the past year, many surfers utilized the practice of predicting waves. This helped them to explore their highest surfing potential by discovering the wildest swell in the oceans and seas. However, the documentary revealed that, “while science is making the swells more predictable surfing them is just as dangerous as ever”

It revealed the story of surfer Ross who decided to surf at Shipstern Bluff in Tasmania, a famous surfing sport. Although he had predicted the giant swell, it did assure his safety. Ultimately, he ended up hurting himself. He could have had major life-threatening injuries but things were under control by the end. The documentary revealed that Ross “was lucky to limp away with just torn ligaments in his ankle.” Nevertheless, his story was also featured in the Discovery Channel documentary called Storm Surfers.

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Not just surf wave prediction, there have been various stories of surfing accidents that often make it to the headlines. Here is an odd one.

Surfer injured due to surfboard

Last month, 13-year-old surfing sensation Alejo Valido’s surfboard became a reason for her injury. While riding waves at El Quemao surfing spot on the northwest coast of the island of Lanzarote, the fin of Valido’s surfboard got impaled in its back.

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A post shared by Alejo Valido (@alejovalido)

She was immediately rushed to the hospital. Valido had to go through surgery, and eventually, she began recovering. Moreover, the young surfer also wrote in an Instagram post that she wants to make a comeback in a few months.

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Watch This Story:  Big Challenge for Us Open of Surfing in 2023 After This Brand Pulls Out Their Sponsorship

Do you have any terrible surfing experiences? Share with us in the comment section.

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Written by:

Muskan Sharma

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Muskan Sharma is a US Sports author for EssentiallySports. She has a degree in journalism and mass communication from the University of Calcutta. Muskan has worked as a writer for 3+ years but has a knack for filmmaking, too.
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Edited by:

Jahnabi Choudhury