The Story Behind Sammy Pupo’s Backdoor-Inflicted Shiner
“Everything went blurry and for 15 minutes, I was stumbling around, barely able to walk straight”
A few days ago 2024 Challenger Series winner Sammy Pupo hardposted his mugshot to the gram.
He appeared to have been stung by one of John John’s bees. Or slapped. Both plausible hazards along the seven-mile stretch of Oahu’s North Shore between Kaʻena and Kahuku Point.
However, no such incident occurred.
Rather, Samuel became yet another high-profile headbutt victim of Banzai’s evil bathymetry, which, since 2021, has seen more than six tour surfers sidelined from competing due to injuries sustained in the warmups or the event itself.
See: The Unfortunate Reality Of Starting The Season At Pipe.
Fortunately for Sammy, his head knock will not preclude him from surfing in the next round. He might be the only CT surfer on the Rock counting his blessings for the consecutive ‘off days’.
Symptoms of concussion can linger for months if not years. Owen Wright, for example, is still being treated for his head injury at Pipe that unfolded 10 years ago.
Sammy gave Stab a short timeline of recent events:
“I was surfing Backdoor four days ago. It was small in the morning, so I paddled out on a little board, but the waves turned on quickly. After about two hours, I dropped into a wave with a heavy whitewater section. I tried to punch through it into the barrel but couldn’t penetrate, and the wave took me down.
“I was underwater for a few seconds before I hit the reef. It wasn’t immediate—I lost my sense of orientation, and the waves were so powerful that I couldn’t brace myself. My hands were moving around, and out of nowhere, I hit my shoulder first, then my head. I stayed conscious but felt a heavy impact. Everything went blurry, and I struggled to see or ask for help.
“After taking a few waves on the head, I saw a patch of whitewater and managed to get myself to shore. For 10 to 15 minutes, I was stumbling, barely able to walk straight. I went straight to the Volcom house, where my coach was, and my vision started to clear up.
“After a few hours, but the next day, I went to the hospital for a scan. The doctors said everything was fine, and as long as I didn’t develop any symptoms within 48 hours, I’d be in the clear. They warned me that another hit to the head could be dangerous.
“I’ve since worn a helmet. Yesterday was the first time I’ve tried one. It felt weird, but I’ll definitely wear it in my heat.
“The last few days, I’ve been feeling super lazy—like my body is working overtime to heal. I’ve been tired and a little sleepy, but I surfed twice yesterday and finally started feeling better. My left eye was nearly swollen shut, but it’s improving.
I think we have to run tomorrow—there aren’t many days left.”
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