BUSTED MITCHELL FALLS JUST SHORT IN MEXICAN MONSTERS
GOLD Coast big wave surfer Jamie Mitchell has overcome a fractured sternum to fall just short of winning the Puerto Escondido Challenge.
Mitchell sustained the injury just weeks earlier at the event’s home in Mexico, found himself in a two-man battle with eventual winner Kai Lenny in the six-man final yesterday.
The Gold Coast lifesaver went blow for blow with Lenny but it was the latter who managed to seal victory in the final minutes as he finished with a total of 23.53 ahead of Mitchell (18.64).
“There are so many guys wanting to be where we are right now – they are animals,” Mitchell said.
“You just go into beast mode and try to numb out the pain. All these guys are so talented.
“I am really stoked for Kai (Lenny). To see him win is great. It was an amazing final and I am stoked to be here.”
Mitchell will now take some time off to recover from his injury before returning to compete in more events in the second-half of the year.
It was the first stop of the 2017 Big Wave Tour that will also include the Nazare Challenge in Portugal, where Mitchell is the defending champion, and Pe’ahi Challenge in Hawaii between October and January.
Mitchell holds second spot in the rankings thanks to his early success while leader Lenny holds top spot on the back of a career-best result.
“I am stoked. That was awesome. I knew I needed a good score because Jamie got one,” Lenny said.
“It was hard to get waves because they were just so shifty, but then the one I had been waiting for came.”