Nathan Fletcher started Heat 4 of the Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau off with a bang. Just minutes after a cleanup set had cleared most of the lineup of Heat 3, the horn to begin Heat 4 sounded. Safety personnel had just beached some of their jet skis, racing massive whitewash back to the beach. Strider Wasilewski was hanging on, riding a sled and appearing to love every second of it like a kid belly boarding for the first time. The Bay was definitely starting to come to life. And soon after, with a lineup full of fresh arms sitting in the water, here comes another set of monsters.
The funny thing about Fletcher’s wipeout is he wasn’t even competing now. He was still in the water at the end of Heat 3 – the one in which he was competing. He air drops twice in one wave. He falls a few solid stories before breaking the surface of the water. It’s one of those wipeouts that will make you cringe while simultaneously sucking you in, unable to look away. And had he made it, the guy wouldn’t have even recorded a score. How about that for taking a beating?
Editor’s Note: Earlier the surfer in these photos was misidentified as Danilo Couto, the surfer wearing red for Heat 4. It was definitely Nate, and we’re glad he’s safe and sound.
