Moroccan surfer Ramzi Boukhiam's run at the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, Australia, came to a painful end after he sustained a serious knee injury while exiting the water following his heat. Boukhiam, who placed last in Heat 6, was walking across rocks back to shore when a wave struck him from behind, causing his left knee to twist. A video captured him crying out in pain, clutching his leg, and being helped from the water by fellow surfers. The 31-year-old was later taken off the beach in a medicab and seen limping on crutches into the event's medical suite. World No. 1 Italo Ferreira, who competed in the same heat, described the moment on the event broadcast: Injury update ? Ramzi has been injured exiting the water following his Opening Round heat. Wishing Ramzi a speedy recovery ?#RipCurlProBellsBeach @ripcurl @originalbonsoy @visitmelbourne pic.twitter.com/Q9IM6quGaL — World Surf League (@wsl) April 22, 2025 «He'd just finished the wave and was waiting for the score. I saw him walking, then he went into the rock. The other wave hit him from behind… he said, 'I'm gone, I'm gone.'» On Instagram, Boukhiam shared a photo of himself being helped from the water by two surfers, writing: «Life doesn't always make sense… and right now, it's really tough to accept what happened». «Getting a major injury — again — and during a contest I felt so ready for, just breaks me», he added. «With everything I've already been through, it honestly hits deep». He thanked fellow surfers for their support and vowed to come back «stronger than ever», saying, «everything happens for a reason». Boukhiam was competing at the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, the longest-running event in professional surfing and one of the most iconic stops on the World Surf League Championship Tour.
