The Devil Returns

Saw something downright inspiring this weekend.

Dean Randazzo made the semifinals of the Fosters Belmar Pro, presented by Global Surf Industries.

"The Jersey Devil" has made the semis of this event before. Heck, he's even made the finals. For that matter, he was a WCT staple in the mid 90s. But now Randazzo is coming off his third major bout with cancer and his second stem cell transplant. After being in the hospital, having major chemotherapy treatment, getting his entire immune system broken down, and not being on a surfboard for six months, his first time back in the water is at the Belmar Pro.

I don't know about you, but if I don't surf for six days, I have to teach myself how to stand up all over again. This guy was out of the water for six months, comes back, and wins his first heat! He nailed a 7 in the closing minutes to whip some young bucks and advance to the main event.

Then he took second in the quarterfinals, sitting way down the beach, by himself, and getting off a few hard turns in the less-than-spectacular conditions. He then fell in the semis.

Pretty remarkable. Check out the Dean Randazzo Cancer Foundation here.