A freak accident at Bells Beach has tragically ended Moroccan surfer Ramzi Boukhiam’s campaign at the Rip Curl Pro, leaving him with a serious knee injury.
Boukhiam, 31, was forced to withdraw from his elimination-round heat on Tuesday afternoon after sustaining the injury. He was taken to a nearby hospital for scans, using crutches and with his left knee in a brace.
The incident occurred shortly after Boukhiam had completed his opening-round heat earlier in the day. As he was nearing the shore, his foot appeared to become caught in the reef. A subsequent wave hit him, and Boukhiam collapsed onto his board in visible pain.
Footage from the scene showed Brazilian surfer Italo Ferreira and Australian Xavier Huxtable rushing to Boukhiam’s aid, helping him out of the water.
Ferreira, who had competed in the same heat, described the incident to the event broadcast: “He’d just finished the wave and was walking when he went into the rocks. The wave came from behind and hit him… he said, ‘I’m gone, I’m gone.’” Ferreira expressed his sympathy, adding, “It was a bummer because he was surfing well on that wave, but I wish him the best of luck.”
The accident occurred after Ferreira won the heat and Huxtable narrowly edged out Boukhiam, sending the Moroccan into the elimination round.
Meanwhile, the Rip Curl Pro resumed competition on Tuesday following several days of poor conditions over the Easter weekend. South African Jordy Smith continued his strong form, winning his round-one heat. Smith, who recently triumphed at the World Surf League event in El Salvador, secured a victory at Bells Beach for the first time in eight years.
The event had been stalled due to poor conditions, with only the women’s opening round and one heat of the men’s first round being completed on Good Friday. Strong winds and four- to six-foot waves on Tuesday added further challenges, especially in the Bells Bowl area.
Organizers proceeded with both the men’s and women’s elimination rounds once the men’s opening heats were finished.
In another surprise, South African surfer Matthew McGillivray, who finished second to Smith in El Salvador and placed third and fifth in the past two years at Bells Beach, was sent to the elimination round. However, he fought back to qualify for the round of 32 with a score of 14.53, one of the highest of the day.
The men’s opening round featured standout performances from Ferreira, who earned a score of 15.67 in his win, and Mexican surfer Alan Cleland, who scored 15.00.
In the women’s competition, local trials winner Carly Shanahan was the only Australian to compete in the elimination round but was unable to progress. On the men’s side, no Australian surfers were eliminated.
The Rip Curl Pro will continue, with the men’s round of 32 and the women’s round of 16 set to take place in the coming days.