Hawaiian surfer Tanner Hendrickson has been suspended from competing in the Pipe Masters trials for inciting violence in a fight he had today with Brazilian surfer Michael Rodrigues, he himself reported in an interview conducted by Stab magazine.

Hours later, the WSL announced that he had been provisionally suspended pending an investigation.

According to what he says in the interview, the Brazilian was the one who started it all because he knew he was being filmed, “I knew he was going to put me in my place,” says Hendrickson. He then explained that he hit him and that they both got into a defensive position. “He got the worst of me and now I’m out of trials.”

The WSL banned him for “initiating violence.” “I’m out and it sucks,” the surfer concluded.

Finally, the Hawaiian explained that he has received a lot of messages from many Brazilians, half of them encouraging him and the other half telling him that if he sets foot in Brazil they will kill him.

Social media exploded late yesterday afternoon with the news that the two surfers had been involved in a fight. As seen in a video made by Brazil's Canal Off, Rodrigues was chatting, climbed a ladder and crossed paths with Hendrickson. Within seconds they were exchanging blows, ending up on the ground with the Brazilian getting the worst of it.

Hendrickson explained that Rodrigues' attitude towards him has not been the best for a long time. He says that he was a "jerk" to him for years. "He ran me over in the Azores once and I thought he was going to come and apologize but instead he said: 'fuck you'," said the Hawaiian.

“Then one time in a heat we were in at the US Open, before the heat he came up to me and sat shoulder to shoulder and tried to take my leash off. And I was like, ‘What’s wrong bro? ’ But instead of doing something stupid I decided to beat him in the heat. When that didn’t work out I spoke to the director of WSL North America to see if it had been filmed and it hadn’t. When I came out Michael and the Brazilians were all jeering, ‘Fuck you crybaby, get out of the competitors’ area. ’”