The time had arrived, winter in California. That means one thing to Freerider Taylor Curtis “big storms equal big waves.” That was just the case last December when a massive swell was forecast to hit the Central Coast and we were not going to miss it. By Dana Curtis

Just offshore about 10 miles from Taylor’s home is a special wave that is down right knarly with the right conditions. This wave needs a least a 12-foot swell to break and as predicted they were calling for an 18ft plus swell, Taylor was pumped. Anxiously awaiting the morning to come so we could get out there at first light. The alarm went off at 5am. We headed down to the marina and had a chilling ride out; it was about 32 degrees that morning.

Arriving on the spot there were about 4 tow teams already they’re scoping the scene, just watching the wave. The barrel was spitting and looking pretty cold, heavy and mean, but that is just what Taylor’s driving force is. Taylor has been watching and riding this wave for years and has wanted to get in that barrel but has thought the penalty of a mistake would be too dangerous. Getting tube time in this wave meant putting yourself on the line and he was going to push the limit further than he has gone before. No one else was surfing yet so Taylor took the chance to ride the beast.  His thought on the day was to do no jumping and just try and surf ride and get as close to inside of the barrel as possible.

Well, as is his nature, he had to just try one back flip out on this giant, knowing that jumping out of this wave is never a good idea because if you wipe out the next wave is fast approaching right behind you. Taylor did do a few huge back flips and was landing them just fine. But if you are Taylor Curtis you always have to push it just a little more each time and he got set up for a big flip and launched off. The wind was cranking offshore to the point that he was not going to make it mid rotation and he pushed the ski away from him to land but the wind blew the ski right back on him, landing on his leg. Disoriented, he realized the next wave was right behind him and there was no chance of getting out of its way. Taylor went backwards over the falls of this wave and got thrown around like a rag doll. “It was the worst wipeout of my life” Taylor said.

As any big wave rider will say, “If you can’t take the heat get out of the kitchen.” Taylor knows this lesson well, and has now officially taken the good with the bad. He has survived his worst wipe out to date, but as we all know, riding giants is all about the chase of the next big swell and putting your life on the line for that thrill.