Australia's Surfing Life Magazine

Clint’s Bung Back

Wednesday, 03 February 2010 00:00

By Chris Binns

Clipper at Burleigh yesterday, moments before disaster struck. Pic: Weathered.

Clint Kimmins is in a stable condition this morning after spending a scary night on the valium in hospital, fearing he’d broken his back. With swell hitting the Gold Coast for the first time this year and Snapper still struggling for sand, Burleigh has become the new Superbank and Clipper was one of the thousands enjoying the four-foot sets at the 4220 Zoo yesterday, when he did himself a mischief.

“I locked into the smallest little barrel,” says known charger Clipper.  “It was seriously like one and a half foot. It was a pretty fun little tunnel, but it was getting smaller and I was arm dragging and trying to milk it and crouching, had my head basically on my knee, when I felt something pinch. I paddled back out and on my next wave went to stand and just locked up. I got to the beach and tried to walk and couldn’t, tried to walk on my knees and couldn’t, and was kinda half worming up the beach when the boys (Clint is a lifeguard at Burleigh) came and got me on a stretcher.”

Upon arrival at hospital, and unable to sit in a wheelchair, the docs decided a night flat on his back under observation was the go. “I was pretty dosed up on Valium and Panadeine Forte, I’m a still a bit out of it this morning actually, and was just fearing the worst. You know, I was thinking a few days ago that it’d be shit to injure myself at this point in my career. I’m getting back on track (see below for story from ASL 257). I’m talking to a few sponsors and there’s the Aussie leg of the Qualifying Series coming up, so last night was pretty heavy.”

This morning brought better news. “I can sort of get out of bed and shuffle around a bit,” says the ever-positive Gold Coaster. “Given that last night I couldn’t even move, that’s a big step. The doctors think I’ve probably pinched something, which hurts a helluva lot and locks you up, but the good thing is, the more you move it the better, you kinda uncoil the knots.”

And from here? “Well I’m home now, I’ve got to have a few MRI scans and see a physio and work through it, ’cos the docs can’t pinpoint anything yet. I don’t know how long it’ll be till I’m surfing again, I can hardly even walk yet, but I’ll be right.”

Everyone’s wishing you well Clipper, see you back in the water soon mate.

Clippa locked in at Stradbroke a coupla months ago, from ASL 257. Pic Shield

Three years ago one of Australia’s best young chargers, Clint “Clipper” Kimmins, was sentenced to six months in prison for a contentious assault.

Aged just 23, Clipper did his time then spent two years trying to get his life back on track. These days he’s fit as an ironman and surfing as well as ever, but is still dealing with crippling debts incurred in the courtroom.

Also, his conviction means he can’t enter the US, which for a surfer like Clipper is a huge problem. Clint needs Hawaii, but he can’t fund the special visa waiver application he needs to get onto the islands. While groms wallow in North Shore mansions, doodling around on the net and watching cable, Clint’s lifeguarding on the Gold Coast, green with envy.

“I try not to watch the news,” he says. “I stay away from surfcams and websites ’cos it’s too hard knowing Pipe’s pumping. Hawaii’s the proving ground. It’s really bad luck that the place I made a name for myself, and the place I need to get my career back, is the one place I can’t go to.

“I don’t want to whinge ’cos it’s a lucky life we get to lead, but it’s frustrating knowing money is holding me back. I try not to think about it and stay positive but the old “jail” word definitely rears its head from time to time and makes things difficult.

“My sponsorship situation isn’t great, but that’s the way the industry is at the moment. Companies are sacking people who pack boxes in warehouses so it’s hard to front up to them to ask for money to travel the world and surf. But, without trying to be cocky, I’m confident that if you put me in the line-up with a bunch of the world’s best big wave surfers I’ll come out of it with a good photo for my sponsor. So that’s the goal: get hooked up, get exposure, and get my job back as a surfer.

“I definitely think some of the groms in Hawaii take it for granted. I even used to a little. Not so much in Hawaii, ’cos I love the place, but definitely all the travel and stuff. A bad day on the North Shore is better than a good day at home, but you know what they say; you don’t appreciate what you’ve got until it’s gone.”