The San Diego big-wave icon and author articulating the realities of head trauma

Welcome to Episode Six of Season Three of Late Drop – The Big Wave podcast. The series was created to showcase conversations with some of the best big-wave surfers in the world — hosted by one of the best big-wave surfers in the world. New episodes will drop on Surfline every other week — Stay tuned here for more Late Drop episodes.

In big-wave surfing — much like normal-wave surfing — the audience usually sees two things: the makes and wipeouts. Both, very entertaining; both, which earn guys and girls awards each year. What we don’t see, however, is what those wipeouts can do to a person, over and over, over time. What a concussion — let alone, multiple concussions — can do to someone. Perhaps, this is the big-wave world’s taboo topic, but San Diego charger and big-wave awards winner, Derek Dunfee, has done a whole lot to articulate (and write a book about) the effects big-wave surfing can have on your brain, specifically, one that is concussed. In this very special episode of The Late Drop, Jamie Mitchell and Derek Dunfee get real about the “network of issues,” one might see from multiple head traumas in the sport they love.

0:00: Growing up in San Diego, Surfing La Jolla, Windansea, Surfing every single day, History of the Windansea surf club and hut, Learning to surf from Dad, Doing NSSA events, Surfing different types of boards/guns/fishes

9:52: Becoming a Tavarua boatman, Getting sponsored by Volcom, Getting into big waves, Being used to respecting the locals and etiquette (from La Jolla), Not getting waves at spots at first

21:12: Derek’s path to Maverick’s, Friendship with Zach Wormhoudt, Going to Todos Santos, Being selfless and watching people/doing safety from the Ski

33:20: Fostering the new, younger generation, Being patient, Getting his first concussion at Cloudbreak, The Turkey Day swell and his XXL award winning wave

42:45: Derek’s beginning of his “end” of surfing big waves, Symptoms Derek would feel from his concussions, The series of hitting his head on reef at spots, Nearly drowning at Cortez Bank, Encountering anxiety with big waves, Not being able to focus his right eye, Network of issues

52:32: The dark period while writing his book, Finding a specialist to work with about concussions, The incredible responses on social media, Getting his lived saved by Shawn Dollar

1:02:43: Being there to listen about concussions, Helmets, Derek’s day to day routine, Hyperbaric chamber

1:14:51: How does someone know when they’ve had a concussion, Researching CTE, Derek’s book: “Waking Up in the Sea”

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jamiemitcho.substack.com