It was one of those mornings. The kind that slaps you awake before the coffee does. Freezing air, a sky on fire, and a lineup of surfers barely awake but ready to charge. I was standing there, watching the Marina HS Surf Team do their thing, when I threw out a question to Coach Caldwell.
"Has anyone ever gotten seriously injured?"
I should have known better. That’s not just possible—it’s inevitable. Every surfer I know has been wrecked at some point. It’s the tax you pay to the ocean. No exceptions.
That morning, Gabi and her parents were out at practice. Big day for her—first time transitioning from a foamie to a fiberglass board. It’s a rite of passage, the moment you feel like you’ve arrived. The board is sleek, fast, alive under your feet. It’s gorgeous. It’s exhilarating.
And then, the accident.
Not some dramatic, slow-motion disaster. Just the chaos of too many surfers in the water, a split-second miscalculation. The board hit. Hard. But Gabi, being Gabi, tried to shake it off. She actually started paddling back out, determined to keep going.
That’s when Cooper and Vince stepped in. SALT training kicked in. They spotted the injury, knew something was wrong, and didn’t hesitate. They got her back to shore, informed Coach, and made sure she didn’t try to push through something serious. The kind of teammates you want when the ocean fights back.
At first, it didn’t look like a life-altering injury. Just a cut. Some blood. Nothing to panic over. Until she started throwing up.
This was peak COVID, so hospitals had a lovely policy: wait outside in the parking lot. So there Gabi was, concussed, vomiting, while her mom—understandably—started feeling woozy from the stress and the lack of food. Nurses noticed her swaying and nearly had two patients on their hands.
Gabi ended up at CHOC. But the story doesn’t end with stitches and a pat on the back. She spent months in a dark room. Missed school. Independent study. Surgery delayed. Imagine being fifteen, your world suddenly shutting down because of one wave, one moment.
And yet, six months later, Gabi’s in Mexico, training with a surf coach. Learning Spanish. Still charging.
Some people get wrecked and never come back. Gabi? She shrugs off a near-permanent injury and decides she wants to fly planes. Because why? She’s Gabi, that’s why.
The Marina HS Surf Team is lucky to have her. The lineup is better because of her. And to Gabi—thanks for sharing your story with the TIOIT Tribe. You’re absolute fire.
Reality Check: Surfing Isn’t Soft
For anyone thinking surfing is all sunshine and easy rides, here’s a stat for you: surfing injuries occur at a rate of 2.2 to 3.5 injuries per 1,000 surfing days. Head injuries are the most common, making up about 36% of all surf injuries. Board-related injuries? Half of them. And concussions like Gabi’s? They happen more than you think, and they can change everything.
The ocean doesn’t care how good you are, how many waves you’ve caught, or what your plans are for tomorrow. It will humble you. It will test you. But if you love it enough, you paddle back out anyway.
Gabi did.
Ride the Storm.
