**Soli Bailey Faces Life-Changing Neck Injury After Pipeline Wipeout**
Australian surfer Soli Bailey is currently recovering from a serious spinal cord injury sustained during a wipeout at Hawaii’s infamous Pipeline in February. The 30-year-old free-surfer recently opened up about the incident and the difficult journey he has faced in the months since.
In a candid social media post, Bailey shared that the injury began as mild discomfort but turned out to be a ruptured disc in his cervical spine. The damaged disc pressed directly on his spinal cord, leading to compression and symptoms radiating into his arms. He described the experience as both physically painful and emotionally traumatic, noting, “I have seen my physical health and my future flash before my eyes.”
Bailey kept a low profile over the past several months, undergoing numerous scans, consulting multiple medical experts, and battling setbacks before finally undergoing spinal surgery. He credited his medical team, fiancée, family, and sponsors for their unwavering support throughout the ordeal.
Now, having completed the surgery, Bailey says he finally has a clear path toward recovery. “I have something I haven’t had in months — a path forward,” he wrote. “This is just the beginning of the road back not only to surfing, but to full health.”
Bailey is best known for winning the first-ever Natural Selection Surf event, a groundbreaking, invitation-only contest held in extreme, remote waves. The win established him as a standout in the free-surfing world and set high expectations for his career.
While the severity of his injury has raised concerns about whether he’ll return to the same level of surfing, Bailey remains optimistic. “I’m glad to see the light at the end of the tunnel,” he added, promising to share more of his recovery journey with followers in the months ahead.