Sion Milosky, from Kauai, died Wednesday during a late-afternoon session at Maverick’s. He was 35. Milosky’s death is only the second at Maverick’s involving a surfer. The other victim was renowned big-wave charger Mark Foo, also from Hawaii, who drowned after a wipeout in 1994.
Milosky, one of many big-wave chargers on hand for the arrival of a late-season north swell at Maverick’s, apparently got pummeled by a set wave in the waning daylight. Waves were not especially large by Maverick’s standards, with faces around 20-30 feet. Conditions were sloppy.
Sion Surfing Pipeline 2010
Milosky apparently drowned after enduring a two-wave hold down around 6:30 p.m., according to Maverick’s surfer Ken Collins, with whom Milosky was staying in Santa Cruz.
Milosky caught at least six waves before he fell when the lip of a wave he was riding collapsed on top of him, Collins said. The fall happened during low tide, with the water depth at the break averaging 15-20 feet. Milosky’s board “tombstoned,” Another wave crashed over Milosky after shortly after the first, according to Collins.
Nathan Fletcher, an invitee to The Jay at Maverick’s Big Wave Contest who had traveled to Santa Cruz with Milosky, went looking for Milosky on a Jet Ski shortly after Milosky fell. About 20 minutes after the incident, Fletcher found Milosky’s body floating at the Pillar Point Harbor mouth, about a mile from the break, Collins said.
Milosky was named the North Shore Underground Surfer of the Year last month. He used some of the prize of $25,000 in travel funds to fly to Santa Cruz on Sunday to catch one of the last big swells of the season at Maverick’s.
“Sion was dominating it. He was out there catching so many waves, he was so good,” said Collins, also a Jay at Maverick’s invitee. “Everybody was like, ‘Who is that? What are you doing letting Hawaiians take over your wave?’ That’s what blows my mind the most is that he was doing all that, and then he drowned.”
Milosky is survived by his wife and two young daughters.
*source: Surfers Village/Santa Cruz Sentinal
Sucks that even with this tragety, Kenny still makes this about himself and “his wave” , such a self centered kook!
God Bless to his wife and two girls. I’m sorry for your loss. Take care !