Moroccan surfer Ramzi Boukhiam had to be helped from the water by fellow competitions including Australian Xavier Huxtable and left the beach in a medicab after wrenching his knee as he walked to shore when the men’s heats finally got going at Bells Beach.
Every one of the seven Australian men competing at the Easter classic made it through to the round of 32 on a big day which included 10 men’s heats as well as the women’s elimination rounds.
The window for the event lasts until April 28 giving organisers enough time to get through what remains a lot of surfing to find the latest champions.
But Boukhaim’s event ended earlier than he’d hoped due to a bad knee injury.
After surfing in the sixth heat the Moroccan was making his way back to the beach over some rocks when he was wiped out by a wave.
He immediately grabbed at his left knee, writhing in pain, and had to be helped from the water before sitting on the beach as he waited for some medical treatment.
Eventually Boukhiam, who was last in his heat and sits outside the mid-season cut line, was escorted from the beach in the medical before limping, on crutches, into the medical suite high above the sand.
“He finished the wave and was waiting for the score,” World No.1 Italo Ferreira, who was also in the heat and first on the scene, said.
“He was walking across the rock and the wave hit him from behind. The knee came to the inside and he felt something strong and was screaming, ‘I’m done, I’m done.’”
He was sent for scans to assess the full extent of the injury.
The incident came as surfing resumed for the first time since Good Friday when only the women’s opening round and one heat of the men’s first round were run.
With better conditions on hand, Australian guns Robinson and Morgan Cibilic both won their heats to progress to the round of 32 with Huxtable also progressing.
Joel Vaughan, who finished last in his heat, also progressed to the next round, courtesy of Boukhiam’s injury, which meant the elimination clash was a walkover.
Molly Picklum, Sally Fitzgibbons, Isabel Nicholls, former Bells champ Tyler Wright and local Ellie Harrison will all fly the Australian flag when the women’s round of 16 resumes, with Wright and Harrison to go head-to-head for a spot in the quarter-finals.
