Incredible moment death-defying surfer jumps off cliff to join competition after turning up late

The unnamed man was spotted by an amateur photographer running along the cliff

The anxious sportsman was late for his heat so decided to jump off the cliff to save time

The cliff, Lighthouse Point in Santa Cruz, is a famous surf spot where Jack O'Neill developed the modern wetsuit


Known for their chilled-out demeanor and slow pace of life, it will come as no surprise to most people to learn that surfers have poor timekeeping.

What is more surprising though is how one sportsman made up for his lack of punctuality - by jumping 30 feet off a cliff and into a raging sea after he was late for a compeition.

This unnamed surfer was spotted by photographer and graphic designer Allen Hughes as he was capturing images of a surfing competition off of Lighthouse Point, in Santa Cruz, California.

This is the moment a surfer who was late for a competition off of Lighthouse Point, Santa Cruz, jumped 30 feet off a cliff just in time to catch his heat

Hughes, 65, said: 'Everyone else was watching the surfers out at sea, but then I noticed this guy running along Lighthouse Point. I watched for quite a while and before each heat the surfers would climb down to the end of Lighthouse Point and make a smaller 10 foot jump.



'I noticed this guy run down to the end, he was late for his heat. I could tell he was anxious so I focused my camera on him and before anyone knew it, he ran and jumped off the cliff.



'He timed it perfectly and landed just behind the white water and paddled out. I never did find out who he was. The cliff itself must be 30 foot high and the waves were maybe higher.'

The unnamed athlete ran along the rocky cliff clutching his board before making the impressive leap, watched by photographer Allen Hughes

He added: 'In my youth I jumped from this rock all the time, but never when the sea was like this.'

Lighthouse Point is located at the northern point of Monterey Bay just south of Santa Cruz as is a world renowned surfing spot.

The waters are known as Steamer Lane and it was here that Jack O'Neill developed the modern-day wetsuit and the 'leash' which attaches a surfer's board to their leg so it doesn't get lost if they fall off.

The waters off of Lighthouse Point are known as Steamer Lane and are where Jack O'Neill developed the modern wetsuit and where he lost his eye

The bearded businessman also lost his eye while surfing the waters, which lead to him wearing his famous eye patch.



It is the home of O'Neill Wetsuits and every year for the last three decades it hosts the O'Neill Coldwater Classic competition in November.

The lighthouse itself is home to the Santa Cruz surfing museum which features a collection of rare and vintage surf boards.

Surfing has been present in Santa Cruz for over 100 years and was introduced by Hawaiians who used wooden planks to ride waves, a far cry from today's carbon fiber boards.





