The surfing world has lost a rising champion.
Kalani David died on Sept. 17 in Costa Rica, according to the Associated Press. The former world junior surfer champion suffered a seizure while surfing at Playa Hermosa beach in the town of Jac on Costa Rica's pacific coast. He was 24.
"He was surfing when he apparently suffered some kind of epileptic seizure and drowned," the Judicial Investigation Agency told the AP. "The death is still under investigation."
Though the athlete had Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, a rare heart disease that causes rapid heartbeat and can provoke paralysis and seizures, he still shined in sports.
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Kalani David won the Junior World Surfing championship under the U-16 category in Panama 2012 and also made waves in the skateboarding world. He took up surfing at 18 months old when his dad would take him out to the beach in Costa Rica, and he later won his first contest at 5 years old, according to Seventeen Magazine. He told the outlet, "I actually like getting in front of crowds, because it pushes me to do better stuff."
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Photographer Peter King wrote a tribute on Instagram to the surfer, who was born in Costa Rica and grew up in Hawaii.
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"He had re connected with family there and was having such a great time," King wrote. "I'll always remember your stoke when we'd shoot skate n surf and how much hope you had for you future. God Bless the family and extended family that were always there for you."
Fellow surfer Josh Kerr remembered Kalani David as "one of the most talented guys" he's seen on a surfboard.
"To watch him grow into such a humble, wear his heart on his sleeve and loyal guys you will ever meet was inspiring," Kerr captioned his Instagram post. "He didn't deserve a lot of things he was dealt over the last 5 years or so but he always kept his chin up and stayed so humble through everything! Gonna miss you buddy."
