Laird Hamilton

A Laird Hamilton Update
By Gabby Reece                          
3-2-2010

Tery Hamilton is the winner!
He was the 46th comment. This number was chosen in honor of Laird turning 46!
Laird’s favorite music group is Pearl Jam!

A Morning Surf Session:
bright and early of course

Celebration with his Girls:
Gifts, Cake – nice hello kitty hat

A bubble blowing party:
while I am trying to work!

more to come…

Birthday Contest! What is Laird’s favorite music group? Post your answer in the comment box. One random winner with the correct answer wins an autographed Laird photo and an H20

Capture Waterproof Case!

A Laird Hamilton Update by,
Gabby Reece  2-28-2010

On Saturday the state of Hawaii was put on a tsunami alert following the devastating 8.8 earthquake that struck Chile.  In pure Laird form he was up and at em’ first thing in the morning moving all vehicles to high ground.  Here are a few photos of Laird moving my dingy out of the river, putting jet ski’s in the trailer, moving trucks, and tractors.


Luckily the water barely surged in and out a few inches, and then everything went back to normal for us.

We drove to the end of our road to take a look around and ran into an old friend of Laird’s (George the Greek). He was on his way to pick up his horse who was staying at a friend’s place during the warning. He was kind enough to let my girls visit with Royal his horse. Nothing like a Sunday drive.

Laird is back at it today, and since the day is a bit windy the choice of fun was the foil board.  He and Terry Chung are foiling in the middle of the bay.  Everyone seems a bit tired, and I attribute it to the emotional situation of waiting to see if there was in fact going to be a damaging tsunami.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the families dealing with the earthquake that struck Chile.

Best, Gabby

A Laird Hamilton Update by,
Gabby Reece  2-23-2010

It was the middle of the day on Monday and Laird wanted to go get an “attitude adjustment” and spend time with the family.  This can be a precarious combination.  I myself try and be as chill as I can be before spending “quality” time with the entire family.  Laird had it figured out.  Forget me as the Mother go visit with Mother Nature to put you in line.  We headed down to Lumahi beach, ran the beach (everyone but the baby), and then Reece and Laird hit the H2O.  Laird and Reece played a game of dead man where you just sit with your back to the waves in the shore line and take it like a champ.  After a while Reece decided she felt better facing the ocean, but they rolled around none the less.

It is amazing how fresh air, the power of the ocean, and just playing together can turn your mood around.  After being with Laird all of these years I have come to really understand how he uses nature as therapy.  The combination of moving, taking some deep breaths and maybe just feeling small enough to gain perspective about your feelings seems to do the trick.  I see so much of Laird developing in Reece (Lord help us), and it is a wonderful thing to see someone who gets excited about being in nature.  So simple, and yet they know how to have so much fun doing it.  Neither one of them needs video games nor TV to keep them amused (even though Reece does seem to enjoy her sappy movies). All they need are just some good friends and a couple of sticks; a lesson I am continually trying to learn from my husband.  I can’t tell you how many times at the end of a day Laird has asked me if I had seen the stars?  Normally I grunt something about being busy with this or that, and that’s when he leads me by my hand to go take one long look.  The funny thing is each time I am amazed at what a miracle we all live in, and that most of the things I let get to me aren’t worth it.

Best, Gabby

A Laird Hamilton Update by,
Gabby Reece 2-10-2010

Side Note:  When Laird injured himself back in January we found out from an X-Ray taken that he had cracked a bone in his shoulder.  We would like to thank Dr. Ellitrache for always taking care of us, and all of  our friends who get beat up doing some kind of biking, snowboarding, or just have general wear and tear.  Laird is feeling a lot better, but you can still see the swelling over the trap.  I guess it’s one of those things that if you have to get an injury it’s lucky to get one that doesn’t slow you down too much.

Best, Gabby

A Laird Hamilton Update by,
Gabby Reece 1-17-2010

When I last wrote about what was happening in our world, Laird had been hit by his board pretty hard in his shoulder.  Lots of swelling and he mentioned some pain here and there.  Like a lot of tough humans Laird won’t complain too much about his bangs and bruises (unless of course your his wife).  He seems to be doing much better, and here we are just 6 days from the last swell and Mother Nature is delivering once again.  Laird never sets a clock when the waves are big because he is barely sleeping, awaiting the day light when he can get out there.  He left just before light, fueled up on his trusted smoothie and espresso.

Terry Chung met Laird down by Hanalei River this morning and they paddled out to the bay.  Looked about 8-10 (Hawaiian) with some bigger sets rolling in.  I met with them at lunch where they perched themselves over the ocean eating and doing recon work for their afternoon session.  These two grown men act like little giddy school kids getting ready to go on a roller coaster.  They were ‘oohing’ and ‘aaahing’ the set waves, and owing the guys getting mowed over.  So funny!

Don King is over to try and shoot for the swell, and as always he is a calming addition to the group.  If I could only be as still as Don King when I grow up.  I’m not sure what is the choice of equipment for this afternoon (SUP or towing).  I’ll let you know after I get the rundown this evening.  It appears the swell is still coming up so maybe the boys will have a good Monday morning as well.  I get tired just being around their intense enthusiasm.  Laird’s training has a lot to do with why he can still perform at such a high level, but like he said today it’s his real PASSION that keeps him maintaining the lifestyle it takes to do this kind of surfing.  Terry and Laird are great examples of finding the JOY in doing something.  Amen!

I’ll keep you posted.

Gabby

A Laird Hamilton Update by,
Gabby Reece 1-11-2010

Just spoke to Laird as he was standing on the cliff watching Pe’ahi (Jaws) break anywhere from 20-25 Hawaiian (40-50 foot faces).  I have learned with Laird not to ask questions, but just let him tell me the “need to know” information.  Here was the scoop from his day.

He landed last night on Maui, and then surfed for a few hours this morning.  He said that it was very crowded and crossed up (meaning bumpy enough where the rights were choppy enough they could “knock out some of your fillings”).  Even though it was bumpy he said some really beautiful smooth ones were still coming thru.  Laird said he felt good and even had a drop in that felt special.  At one point he got hit by the lip of a wave and either his left shoulder hit his board or his board hit his shoulder.  He towed a few more after that, and it didn’t hurt (you know the get back on the horse mentality), but he said he wasn’t able to swim that well.  So “if I did wipe out I wouldn’t be able to swim too strongly”; hence why Laird is on the cliff now.  He sounded good, but of course a little disappointed that there is still a lot of daylight and waves left.

I think this is one of the things that shows a smart athlete.  One who is willing to take a pass if they know they are not feeling 100%.  I give Laird credit for making the smart choice, and not the one fueled by his desire or ego.  We will post some photos from today as soon as we get them.

Of course right before he hangs up the phone he mentions something about getting a nice little gash while getting back into the chopper from an exposed screw.  Laird has had 1000 non surgical stitches so he never makes a big deal about getting cuts and wounds.

At the end of the call I got the feeling he was glad he went, and was enjoying just being near BIG surf.

Best, Gabby

A Laird Hamilton Update by,
Gabby Reece 1-10-2010

I woke up this morning with Laird telling me he was heading to Maui.  He was going back and forth about leaving on Saturday evening, but seemed to be in focus Sunday.  I always find it interesting to watch Laird gear up for something that takes so much energy that he isn’t quite sure is going to pan out.  He compares it to if one was a football player getting ready for a game that gets canceled.  I was secretly glad he decided to go since I think in the end he needs to at least be there if it is going to go off.

Similar to going to work Laird had to deal with the girls.  Brody insisted on going to the barn with Laird while he prepped and packed his boards.  Then Reece was giving him the pouty face and talking about how she doesn’t get to see him that much.  Funny since that kid never misses a good time with her friends it just was a lull in the action so she re directed her never ceasing energy towards him. Takes one to know one.  I could just see Laird’s face getting squeezed with domestic drama.  Nothing funnier then to watch the helplessness of a man at the hand of his daughters.

Laird wants to surf on Kaua’i, but Don Shearer (the helicopter pilot ) is on Maui and makes shooting so much easier, and he always grumbles something about what a truly special wave Pe’ahi (Jaws) is.  He flew over with Terry Chung and will hook up with Dave Kalama on Maui.  Dave is an amazing waterman, and I call him Laird’s ocean wife.

So let’s keep our fingers crossed that the swell shows up and the conditions are favorable.  I’ll let you know.  Best, Gabby

A Laird Hamilton Update by,
Gabby Reece 1-8-2010

This is getting funny!  Me giving all of you surf lovers my wife perspective on Laird and his day to day life.  I mean if you want to know about his equipment, or wave count on a particular swell I will work on my “surf specific” info.  However, for now I will give you whichever topic is jumping out at me.  First let’s talk about how Laird did such a great birthday for me.  He went into town that morning since our dishwasher melted (literally) and picked up a new one.  If you know anything about living on an island or small town you seldom order anything up on the phone that doesn’t take days or even weeks to arrive.  So with dishwasher in truck he met me at our house as I arrived home from a bike ride.  He did some B level acting about how his day was shot (it was noon by the way) because the wind had hit the surf and he missed some very good sized waves (10-12 ft Hawaiian) in the a.m.

OK so that was his set up.  Then he said something about going to Lumah’i beach to get blasted by some shore break waves to make himself feel better.  Did I want to come?  How could I pass that up.  Needless to say on our way there we took a detour to the other side of Hanalei Bay to a home owned by a very old family where one could only be so lucky to visit.  There on the land were several of my friends, all the children, Chef Leo who is a wonderful cook, and giant waves just 30 feet off shore.  Magical! We gathered, ate scrumptious food, laughed, watched kids catch fish with their nets inside the reef, and saw the waves of Yaikoko’s smashing right before our eyes.  PERFECT.  Laird managed to put something together that made me feel really special but somehow not jolt me into this next decade of my life.  After about 2 hours my knight in shiny surf shorts was off to go surfing.  He had done his husbandly duties and was going out.  He then proceeded to give me a drive by on a ski off shore before they went and towed until dark.

Today I was talking to my friend and neighbor Tiffany who loves to surf.  She was checking the surf when,  I kid you not as I was talking to her on the phone about kid stuff she started laughing and saying “oh my goodness”.  Apparently at that moment she was watching Laird, riding out at Hanalei Bay, take a wave, ride it up on a high line and then proceeds to get blasted.  She said you could see his board going one way and him getting launched in the air.  I then told Laird and he laughed and said “yeah you mean when I was half bird and half fish”?    The ocean was beautiful, with good conditions about 6-8 Hawaiian.  I’m going to go out on a limb, and say Laird may even be a tiny bit tired.  He will probably have a meal and find a way to create some more energy to go out again before dark.  After all the swell is coming up…
Best, Gabby