Last December, Joaquin del Castillo slammed the reef at Pipeline, breaking his pelvis which required surgery. He talks about the recovery, and the medical debt.
While surfing Pipeline on Monday, 25-year-old Long Beach, NY surfer Austin Gibbons was rendered unconscious and subsequently rescued by off-duty lifeguards.
I didn’t need another reminder about the maddening practices of healthcare in the U.S., but surfing, of all things, has highlighted the system's inequities.
Due to misinformation that lures beginners into difficult waves, I think surfing needs a grading system, like the one used by its sister sport of rock climbing.