Social media feeds are ofen filled with incredible moments, from perfect barrels too awe-inspiring aerials, and sometimes, truly notable wipeouts. one such moment occurred last December when 21-year-old Ty Simpson-Kane from kuau, Maui, went viral after being caught inside the infamous Jaws surf break.

“that was definitely my heaviest wipeout without a doubt,” Ty shared online. “This was basically the biggest anybody had seen Peahi.It was the big Sunday everybody was anticipating. We were sitting out the back when the set came in and decided to turn and go on it. I knew it was going to be heavy.”

Ty recounted the experience, explaining, “What I didn’t see and what a lot of people didn’t in this video is that right here there’s a little phantom chop,” as he analyzed the footage of his surfboard’s nose catching. “It projected me over the nose of my board, which created the whole tomahawking down the wave. It was truly the craziest feeling. especially watching skiers tomahawk down a mountain, I was like, wow, this is exactly what I’d think it’d feel like. I landed so hard on my back that it knocked the wind out of me. I blew two CO2 cartridges and just had to settle in for the most brutal beating of my life.”

A Day of Memorable Waves

“That was definitely my heaviest wipeout without a doubt.” – Ty Simpson-Kane

Amidst a swell marked by incredible rides at the Eddie Aikau Invitational and historic Peahi paddle-in waves, Ty’s wipeout became a standout moment. However, it wasn’t his only accomplishment that day. Earlier in the morning,he paddled into a massive wave before the wind intensified. Along with the viral wipeout, he caught several other meaningful waves, including another entry for the Big Wave Challenge.

December 22 proved to be an unforgettable day for Ty and all who witnessed the raw power of the Pacific. The following day, as the swell subsided, Ty expressed his gratitude, stating, “There are no words that can truly describe the energy and the power that was surging. Pe’ahi was alive in all her glory and I still can’t believe I was able to get a wave paddling. Thank you to my family and my team for supporting me.”