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American surfer punched during dispute at Bali beach
American pro surfer Sara Taylor was punched in the head during a dispute with several men at a beach in Bali, Indonesia, footage from the incident shows. (Credit: Charlie McHarg via Storyful)
BALI, Indonesia - An American pro surfer was punched in the head during a dispute with several men at a beach in Bali, Indonesia.
Footage showed Sara Taylor getting hit. The video was shot by her friend Charlie McHarg at Pandawa Beach.
Taylor gave an interview to a Brazilian news outlet and said Brazilian surfer Joao Paulo Azevedo punched her in the back of the head after she and a friend of Azevedo’s dropped in on the same wave.
The video showed Taylor, wearing a green T-shirt, and a man, wearing a white T-shirt, both trying to surf on the same wave. However, Taylor then pushed him off to prevent a collision.
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The footage then showed Azevedo paddling towards Taylor before punching her in the head. The altercation then continued on the shore with several men surrounding Taylor and McHarg with profanities being exchanged.
Taylor reported the incident to police.
Azevedo later apologized for the incident but also claimed that Taylor's footage was edited and did not show the entire altercation.
"Yesterday’s disastrous event occurred due to a disagreement where I was also attacked, disrespected and insulted by the couple, even though I was convinced that nothing justifies my attitude. What I would like is for the entire video to be released, without editing, so that everyone can understand what actually happened," Azevedo said, according to a machine translation.
However, Quebra Onda, a Brazilian clothing brand, posted on Instagram that they have ended their partnership with him, reaffirming their stance against "any and all types of violence, mainly against women."
Storyful contributed to this report. This story was reported from Los Angeles.