Year - old surfer had many years ' experience riding big waves , business partner says . Witness surmises that Kirk ##patrick burst out in the wipeout and lost consciousness . He was not new to big wave surfing , having surfed most of the well-known big wave locations , '' said a statement from his family posted on the Brigham Young University-Hawaii website . A Coast Guard cutter and helicopter searched for Passmore ##s .
Year - old surfer had many years ' experience riding big waves , business partner says . Witness surmises that Kirk ##patrick burst out in the wipeout and lost consciousness . A Coast Guard cutter and helicopter searched for Passmore ##s .