Surfriding What really happened in Holland Oct 15th, 2011. RIP Kevin Bruins!

[teamkarb]

As a little follow up. In my talking to family members, I was led to believe that kevin did suffer servere head trama which is believed to be the reason for his passing.
Life can change so quick. Hope everyone can take something from this loss of a friend.

 

[sjetrider]

Even with a helmet on. That is incredible, but it also explains ALOT, the lost hood and helmet. It does not explain why he was not found ALOT sooner as he had a vest on. He must have gotten tangled in the limit rope or the lanyard or something, otherwise he should have been floating. That baffles me.

 

[N3vrSat1sfied]

From what I understand divers found him Tuesday morning. My guess is he was pinned up against the rocks on the pier somehow.

 

[yamaslut]

My thoughts and these are only speculations.

some facts as I know them (correct me if I am wrong): his helmet was removed and his hood was off the ski and his body was found on the rocks.

With that info I can assume his ski died/flooded, or hood was compromised in some way, making him in the water w/ the ski sinking. I know as a seasoned rider that the first thing you do is remove your helmet especially if it's one of the MX style helmets that are very heavy and do not allow good viewing. It's very claustrophobic feeling to have on in the water. I can only speculate but he either tried to stay w/ the ski or decided to leave it and then was washed into the rocks by the current causing head trauma and eventually drowning. This is only speculation so do not take as fact, but I really can't see another way it could have happened.

did they find his ski and was it near him if they did?

 

[N3vrSat1sfied]

His father said the helmet was cracked and beat up pretty bad. So I would imagine he didn't remove it to swim and like Doug said he might of suffered the trauma while riding. I am pretty sure they didnt locate the ski.

 

[yamaslut]

I guess I don't understand how the helmet came off w/o him removing it... was the helmet strap still buckled?
The helmet could have been beating against the rocks for hours causing that damage... once again only speculation...

 

[N3vrSat1sfied]

that's true. I don't know how bad the helmet was or if it was still buckled.

 

[QuickMick]

I guess I don't understand how the helmet came off w/o him removing it... was the helmet strap still buckled?
The helmet could have been beating against the rocks for hours causing that damage... once again only speculation...

I agree but wouldnt that have to be some massive beating against the rocks to crack the helmet? With that said how much pressure does it take to put a crack in a helmet? I realize I do not know what type/kind of helmet Kevin was wearing. I only saw the picture of it in the Still picture that was posted of him wearing it.
Im with you, Im wondering how the helmet was removed, by himself or strap broke, ect.

This is a tragic loss.

 

[Waternut]

My MX style helmet will come off on occasion. I can tighten it down to the point of almost choking me and if I hit the water just right, it'll still rip off my head. Absolutely no idea how that happens but it's done it multiple times over a couple years.

 

[yamaslut]

the surf was 15ft... that is thousands and thousands of pounds of water moving into and onto the rocks. I think it would be sufficient to crack a helmet floating in the surf since there is nothing in the helmet to help keep it's shape. Once again only speculation..

 

[yamaslut]

My MX style helmet will come off on occasion. I can tighten it down to the point of almost choking me and if I hit the water just right, it'll still rip off my head. Absolutely no idea how that happens but it's done it multiple times over a couple years.

wow, never heard of that happening. thanks for the heads up

 

[Matt_E]

My MX style helmet will come off on occasion. I can tighten it down to the point of almost choking me and if I hit the water just right, it'll still rip off my head. Absolutely no idea how that happens but it's done it multiple times over a couple years.

Happens to me, too. (Only on some pancaked flips, never anything else)

 

[yamaslut]

I use a white water rafting helmet designed for the water and have never even been close to losing my helmet...

So it sounds like he very well could have had it on then, if in fact he was wearing a MX style helmet...

 

[Aircraftsalz]

My thoughts and these are only speculations.

some facts as I know them (correct me if I am wrong): his helmet was removed and his hood was off the ski and his body was found on the rocks.

With that info I can assume his ski died/flooded, or hood was compromised in some way, making him in the water w/ the ski sinking. I know as a seasoned rider that the first thing you do is remove your helmet especially if it's one of the MX style helmets that are very heavy and do not allow good viewing. It's very claustrophobic feeling to have on in the water. I can only speculate but he either tried to stay w/ the ski or decided to leave it and then was washed into the rocks by the current causing head trauma and eventually drowning. This is only speculation so do not take as fact, but I really can't see another way it could have happened.

did they find his ski and was it near him if they did?

Well thought out.... Every time I've been floating the helmet comes off first... I would say your right on

 

[kraqus]

Were there any Boats in the water at that time? I cannot imagine the damage to his helmet with the severe head trauma that followed if He wasn't hit by something. I picture this scenario....Hood came off and ski sank, he was floating out there and hit by a boat coming back to the channel that never clearly saw him because of the weather at the time.


BTW, I never take my Helmet off when I am floating, and specially if my ski has issues because then I have to hold my helmet with one hand when I need both.


Benny

 

[N3vrSat1sfied]

no boats and he was riding north of the channel not in the channel.

I dont know what tricks Kevin had under his belt but maybe failed backflip, ski landed directly on him? or it is possible he was just caught in a wave and was holding the ski waiting to surface then hit the pier, or made contact with the pier in some other way that was strong enough to knock his helmet off. The water was very rough and huge swells, easy to have one push you into the rocks if you were close enough

 

[wsuwrhr]

My MX style helmet will come off on occasion. I can tighten it down to the point of almost choking me and if I hit the water just right, it'll still rip off my head. Absolutely no idea how that happens but it's done it multiple times over a couple years.

It will roll right off the back of your head over the top of your face. Look at how the helmet is fastened.

 

[Tkmww]

Mine has come off before in the surf when doing a backy and landing just right. It is a mx helmet and strap slid up and over my face.

 

[ryan]

same here failed roll and off it went. i never take mine off . if im in the water it says on.
as many of you have seen in one of my vids i posted here we lost a superjet in big waves last year. it is so hard to try and get a ski-person out of washing machine waves . we had 5 people there and we were lucky not to kill some one that time. a few weeks we lost 2 people for about 4 hours due to lack of info. very close to 2 people lost at sea. i have ben riding surf for 20 years !! riding buddies are a must and its still a crap shoot at best. say safe wear your gear ride with good people .

 

[Idok]

my giro remedy woudl always get ripped off.....the cascade is awesome, always feels planted.......I cant ride without it now, its like a seatbelt




the mx style helmets always make my neck sore the day after riding and increase rider fatigue.....







I know the Holland pierhead well...its a dangerous spot and Lake Michigan can get as knarly (or worse) than the most powerful ocean storms............tragic loss I will never forget it as my family lives very close to Holland, Mi