Big Wave
Cases unlock in order, like levels. This is case 92 of 100.
Banzai Pipeline, North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, 8:14 am. On the first wave of the final, the center fin of Kai Akana's board, the title favorite, came clean out of its box.
Without the fin, the board spun out and Kai hit the reef. Dislocated shoulder and cuts on his back: he is in the hospital and out of the contest. The finalists' boards spent the night in the board tent, zipped shut, next to the parking lot.
The organizers opened the tent at 6:30 am. Between midnight and then, only three people had a reason to be near it.
The judges' tent on the sand, canvas flapping in the wind, the roar of waves breaking on the reef.
Suspects
Makoa KealohaSurfboard shaper, 61
Leilani KahaleWater photographer, 29
Brody KeaneAustralian surfer, Kai's rival, 27
The real case
The attack on Nancy Kerrigan
Detroit, United States, January 1994
This case is a work of fiction. The characters, names, places and events in the game do not portray real people. The account below is a factual summary, based on public sources, of the case that served as inspiration.
On 6 January 1994, after a practice session for the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Nancy Kerrigan was struck on the knee with a baton by a man who then fled. She was unable to compete; her rival Tonya Harding won the championship, and both went to the Lillehammer Olympics weeks later.
The investigation showed that the attack had been planned by Harding's ex-husband and a friend of his to knock Kerrigan out of contention. Those involved were convicted; Harding pleaded guilty to hindering the investigation and was banned from skating. Kerrigan recovered and won the silver medal.
The game borrows the rival sabotaged on the eve of the final by someone who wanted the spot and the sponsorship. The method, the characters and the outcome are fiction.
Sources
Case glossary
Words from this case you might not know.
- Banzai Pipeline
- A famous and dangerous surf break on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, where waves break over a shallow reef.
- shaper
- A craftsman who designs and builds surfboards.