Source: “Griffin Colapinto Fractured His Ankle In Hawaii”*

[Editor’s note: this article has been amended to reflect new information re: Griffin’s injury]

According to reports from Oahu’s North Shore, Griffin Colapinto, last year’s Vans Triple Crown Champion, has severely hurt his ankle while surfing at Haleiwa yesterday evening. 

Our source, who is close to the Colapinto camp, reports:

“It happened during a Haleiwa freesurf. Initially Griffin didn’t think it was that bad, so he paddled back out, but it was just incredibly painful. They got it checked out, and the doctor said it’s fractured. Griffin’s headed home, hoping to get his ankle in shape so he can at least try to surf Pipe.”

**Update: New intel suggests the fracture is actually under Griffin’s big toe, not his ankle**

This news brings deep sadness to the team at Stab, who looked forward to seeing Griffin surf in Hawaii and, potentially, defend his 2017 Triple Crown title. 

The early comments on this video (right side) point to overwhelming knowledge of Griffin’s ailment, which is interesting because the caption reads: “Haleiwa in the dark last night”. Perhaps there was a caption change?

Foot injuries are naturally brutal for surfers, who place immense strain on their legs and feet throughout a ride (see: Kelly Slater). For someone like Griffin, who uses his strength and athleticism to perform acrobatic surfing maneuvers, toes are an especially necessary commodity. 

This would be stressful for Griffin – who currently sits just two spots inside the CT cutline – if it weren’t for the fact that he’s already secured his spot back on Tour via a solid QS ranking (third). According to our source, Griffin will only surf in this year’s Pipeline Masters if he gets bumped out of the QS top-10 after Haleiwa and Sunset, which is highly unlikely.

That said, we’re sure Griffin is sad to miss the Triple Crown, especially after his incredible performance in 2017. 

Stab wishes Griffin the best in his recovery process.