 Professional surfer Malik Joyeux from Tahiti died this Friday morning following an accident at Banzai Pipeline on the North Shore. He was a well-known waterman and one of the most popular surfers in Tahiti. Joyeux was 25. Surfers said Joyeux had just caught a wave at Pipeline and was cheered on by his fellow surfers. But the wave struck Joyeux and he landed hard in the water and was sucked under. Witnesses said Joyeux was under for about 10 minutes (reports vary) before he was found. He was brought to shore and taken to Kahuku Hospital where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy will be carried out to determine the cause of death.
The accident occurred at about 10:30 on Friday 02 December 2005. Malik was hit by the lip of the wave while he was in the tube and fell from his bord. His leash leash broke with the force of the wave. He was found 15 minutes later at Pupukea beach break, off to the right of the peak at Pipeline. Surfers and paramedics made several attempts to revive the unconcious surfer, but he did not respond. He was taken to Kahuku hospital. Photographer Bruno Lemos said the wave exploded on top of Joyeux, snapping his board in half.
Confronted with immense sorrow approximately 60 surfers left the water, and afterwards, the surfers formed a cirle on the beach and offered a prayer for Malik Joyeux. Malik, from Moorea, was one of the big surfing names of Tahiti, alongside such noted surfers as Vetea David, Raimana Van Bastoaler and Manoa Drollet. More than a surfer, he was Billabong XXL Tube of the Year champion in 2003, he also praticed kite surfing, and recently he set world-first record by tow-kiting into the wave at Teahupoo. He was sponsored by the surfwear brand Oxbow.
In early October, Malik was one of the highlights in what is considered one of the best sessions of the history at Teahupoo, subsequently called "Bloody Sunday" by the international press. Last year, he was featured on the cover of a special issue of Surfer magazine riding a giant wave in Teahupoo, Tahiti.
In February of this year, Jon Mozo, a well-known underwater photographer from Hawaii, also drowned at Pipeline while taking surf pictures
By: Surfersvillage Global Surf News
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