Derek Dunfee’s dream came true, and then it almost killed him.
Growing up in La Jolla, all he wanted to do was surf. He was good at it. By 13, he had a sponsorship from clothing company Volcom, which sent him to Hawaii’s storied North Shore, a proving ground for young hotshots.
The waves were huge. Intimidated at first, Dunfee got nudged into the water by one of his idols, a Sunset Beach veteran, and found out that he loved every part of it.
He loved the power of the ocean, the thrill of the tube rides, the camaraderie of the lineup. Loved being on the cover of Surfer magazine. Loved the travel to exotic surf breaks. Loved winning the coveted Billabong XXL prize (and $15,000) for riding a 40-foot monster at Mavericks near Half Moon Bay.
He loved it all so much that he ignored the concussions.
Derek Dunfee stands at the shack at Windansea Beach in La Jolla, where he grew up surfing and still surfs almost every day.
(K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune)
His first one came in 2007, also at Mavericks. He was trying a lighter board and got launched into the air when he took off on a wave. He remembers the water feeling like a brick wall when he hit, and then the brick wall fell on him. His board broke into three pieces.
There were other concussions as the years went by, and with them a recurring aftermath. Nausea. Headaches. Painful stabs from bright lights. Memory loss. Mood swings. Fits of rage or sadness.
Then the waves called to him again, and out he went. “I was at the top of my game,” he said. “I didn’t want to give that up.”
On Dec. 22, 2012, Dunfee was at Cortes Bank, a barely submerged seamount about 100 miles west of Point Loma. It’s Mt. Everest for surfers, capable of generating waves that approach 100 feet. Dunfee took off on one beast that folded back and buried him.
Tumbling around under water, 10 seconds went by. Then more. “Keep…