Al Byrne, then and now. Images: ByrningSpears.com / Hot Stuff Surf
Australian shaping legend Al Byrne is in critical condition in a hospital in Bali after a motorcycle accident. According to reports, Byrne (62) was found conscious next to his motorcycle on late Friday night or early Saturday morning after leaving the Rip Curl Cup party earlier in the night. Early reports stated he was admitted to a Jimbaran hospital with a broken arm, then slipped out of consciousness and was diagnosed with a fractured skull and bleeding on the brain. After falling into a coma, he was rushed to a larger hospital where he remains on life support.
The New Zealand native found his fame for his hand-shaped channel-bottom boards, a product of his experience in the Air Force. It was there that he learned about aerodynamics and how it could be applied to the water. After shaping for Hot Stuff Surfboards, he’s built surfboards for some of the world’s best surfers, including Rabbit, Joel Parkinson, Occy, and Kelly Slater.
An update on his condition is expected soon.
