Kalani David of Hawaii advanced to the quarterfinals of the Pipe Invitational, the trials for the 2019 Billabong Pipe Masters, by winning Heat 3 of Round 1 at Pipeline in Oahu, Hawaii on December 9, 2019. Ed Sloane/WSL courtesy of Getty Images
Friends and authorities reported that former world junior surfing champion Kalani David died this weekend on a Costa Rican beach after suffering a seizure while practicing the sport at which he excelled. He had 24 years of age.
Kalani Internationally known only by his initials, David Feeney Barrientos was born in Hawaii to a Costa Rican mother with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, a congenital cardiac condition that can cause paralysis and seizures.
However, his sickness did not hinder him from achieving success in sports, as he engaged in both surfing and skateboarding. In 2012, he won the Under-16 division of the Junior World Surfing Championship in Panama, while also competing in the big skating circuits.
The Judicial Investigation Agency reported that the young American died on Saturday morning in Playa Hermosa, Jacó, on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica.
“He was surfing when he apparently suffered an epileptic seizure and drowned,” the entity told The Associated Press in a statement. The cause of death is still being investigated.
The director Peter King was among the first to announce his passing via social media, praising his tenacity.
“Oh buddy, I adore you, Kalani! God alone knows the times of man. Life is difficult. Always in conflict. Always studying, “he said.
Shortly thereafter, several figures from the world of surfing, such as Kelly Slater, the 11-time world champion, echoed the news.
“Kalani was one of the world’s most gifted surfers and skateboarders,” he wrote on social media.
His condition led him to suspend his athletic career multiple times, but he eventually resumed it.
“He consistently pushed his limits,” Slater continued. “My condolences to Kalani’s wonderful family and friends on every beach in the world.”
The surfing community mourns the loss of a very skilled, very young surfer. Indeed, Kalani David was a child..
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