Watch: The Day That Nearly Killed Kohl Christenson

Towering Pipe roll-ins are as chaotic as they are beautiful. Watching a field of international psychopaths line up shapeless lumps prior to their detonation, one can’t help but hold their breath in a menagerie of fear, awe, and envy. Whether guts or glory, when you’re banking off the bottom of the notoriously dangerous left, all eyes are on you. 

Jack Coleman spent his NYE in an enviable fashion, posted up at Ehukai for one of the swells of the season at Pipe, where he captured the likes of Balaram Stack, J.O.B, Gavin Beschen, Koa Rothman, and a myriad of other Pipe specialists.

That includes Kohl Christensen, who unfortunately suffered a life-threatening wipeout this session, fracturing his skull in the process. Thanks to the life-saving efforts of the North Shore Lifeguards as well as both the Queens trauma and Neurosurgery team, the father of two and restless advocate for safety and training amongst the big wave community is on his way to a full recovery as per his latest Instagram post.

The unknown nature of Pipe’s second reef leads to a questionable make:pinch ratio, but there are always gems to be mined. For an inside look at a day that produced 15 Wave of the Winter entries, click above.