Laird Hamilton

By Surfing HQ · February 26, 2009
Feature Interview with DailyStoke.com

Laird Hamilton has new book out – Force of Nature – Mind, Body, Soul, and, of course, Surfing. We reviewed Laird’s book in December. We were fortunate to get the chance to sit down with Laird Hamilton and talk surfing. We learned some interesting stuff. Here goes:

DailyStoke.com: Laird – seems like life is treating you well. You split your time between two surfing meccas, Hawaii and Malibu. Not bad right?

Laird Hamilton: Yeah, in the summer season, when the surf is down, we’re normally in California. In Hawaii, in the summer, the surf is a non-event. Summer was also Gabby’s volleyball season. In the wintertime, that’s the surf season, and is my season.

DailyStoke.com: Do you ever paddle out a Malibu?

Laird Hamilton: I do. I go out there, paddle out, but it’s more like a comedy. Big waves are more like…a drama. If somebody drops in on you in Hawaii, it could be a life threatening situation, and you’ll get a bit more upset. People will give you a 20 foot wave, but they’ll fight you for a two footer.

DailyStoke.com: Your out there on a SUP, and Malibu is a crowded spot.

Laird Hamilton: It’s pretty crowded, but you can’t take it personally. And you’ve got to go out there and have fun. You get a random guy yelling, but I grew up in a really aggressive surf environment that makes Malibu a bit of a cakewalk. Normally, people who are frustrated out in the water are frustrated on land. They brought their frustration with them. If you go to a beach where there are a hundred guys out, and you paddle out looking to ride waves alone, you’re setting yourself up.

DailyStoke.com: So what are you surfing these days?

Laird Hamilton: Mostly standup paddle. For the past seven or eight years, I don’t really lay down, unless I break a paddle or something like that.

DailyStoke.com: This Stand Up Paddling thing is pretty controversial these days.

Laird Hamilton: Snowboarding was controversial, too. We’ve got to evolve.

DailyStoke.com: You don’t ever break out a shortboard?

Laird Hamilton: No. Nope. That would be a regression at this point. That’s like asking me to crawl. I’ve done that discipline and it’s…uninspiring. I got to a point where I hit a ceiling…and I’m not a buck-twenty-five where I can make speed on a one foot wave where I can fly or trick around. I’m a downhill guy. I need a big wave to really excel. The smaller stuff is a bit like…ballet for me.

DailyStoke.com: We’re still a long ways from summer, but a lot of surfers are headed to warm destinations and getting some sun. You live in a very sunny climate – do you put on sunscreen to keep yourself protected?

Laird Hamilton: Nothing. Be in good health, eat well and get good sleep. [Pauses] First of all, I have a dematologist, Dr. Lancer, who is appropriately named. He’s never cut me! Melanoma is more hereditary. For women it’s more of an issue for wrinkles. Men, that’s part of you becoming mature. The problem with sunscreens is that most of them are pretty toxic. In the next 10 years we’re going to find that there are worse things in sunscreen than the sun burning you. Not letting the skin overheat is a big part of not getting sunburned, and frankly your cardio health is much, much more important. Everybody’s in for a quick fix. Give me a tube and let me slap it on, negates the fact that I’m not eating well and I’m not working out.

DailyStoke.com: Yeah, well, now you’re making me think twice. You new book has got some great stuff about eating right, but I pounded down a Big Mac…

Laird Hamilton: Did you like it?

DailyStoke.com: Well, yeah!

Laird Hamilton: If its tastes really good like that, chances are you don’t want to eat it everyday. If it’s getting repetitive, day in and day out, that’s no good. It tastes good, but where are the nutrients?

DailyStoke.com: Do you ever put down a Big Mac, fries and a Coke?

Laird Hamilton: Sure, I’ve had Big Macs. It’s been awhile since I’ve had one, but oh yeah, I’ve had them.
I don’t drink soda. Too much sugar. I took a sip from a soda the other day, and it was so sweet, I didn’t even want it. You almost have to dilute it. When you don’t use sugar in your diet, all of the sudden fruits are really sweet. Honey is really sweet. Your taste buds change. I’m not psycho never have anything sweet, because that takes too much energy. The stress on your body just isn’t worth it.

DailyStoke.com: There’s a pretty famous shot of you at Teahupoo. Have there been more important waves for you?

Laird Hamilton: For me, it’s really about the body of the work. Does one shot make you, as a photographer? At that time, and that place, was a monumental moment. It was a little bit like the four minute mile. Until then, no one had done it. We broke the four minute mile. After that, plenty of guys had done it. Since then, we’ve had some other monumental moments. A year ago last October there. Last December 3rd, we had what I’m calling 12 to 15 stories. No photographs. My friend almost got killed.

DailyStoke.com: Right. That’s serious stuff. This winter, in Whistler, a number of boarders have been taken out by avalanches. What king of precautions do you take?

Laird Hamilton: The bigger it gets, the slower we go. When it’s 40 feet we do things three times. When it’s 50 feet, we do things four times. That includes the knot, the ski, the thing, the this, the that, the floatation. All of it. We’ll go through the whole checklist. Then we’ll not be in a hurry and make a decision of where we’re gonna go, what the battle plan is with the intention of swimming back, crawling back – you’re going to be your own rescue. The good thing about the ocean is that when the waves are breaking you can see them. The mountain, it’s white and sleeping. And if it’s moving, you’re in it, and it’s took late. Accidents befall the good and the bad, the experienced and the inexperienced. We have a saying in Hawaii that no one is above lickings. You gotta be worried about getting too overconfident. It’s good to be scared. They have a saying in aviation. There’s old pilots and bold pilots. There are no old, bold pilots.

DailyStoke.com: How does Maverick’s compare for you?

Laird Hamilton: I’ve actually never surfed Mavericks.

DailyStoke.com: Really? That’s kinda funny. Is it the cold water? [Laughing]

Laird Hamilton: [Not laughing as hard] It’s not the cold – that doesn’t really bother me – when you wear a full suit, that’s a lot of floatation. It just happens to be that Mavericks season is my season. The thing is, we’ve got the biggest waves in the world. And everybody that comes from Mavericks and surfs Jaws – they say Jaws is heavier, it’s breaking faster. The only desire to go ride it is just to say I’ve ridden it. [Pauses] I’d like to Stand Up paddle it. I’d be a visitor going in there. When the timing is right, I’ll probably go there and surf it. But you know, I’ve got enough work right here. Confirmation of that was December 3rd.