Laird Hamilton

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“Laird is flat out surfing’s biggest, boldest, bravest. He is the best big-wave surfer in the world today, bar none.”

— Surfer Magazine

New in paperback, the Los Angeles Times bestseller…

Force of Nature

Mind, Body, Soul and, of Course, Surfing

BY LAIRD HAMILTON

Laird Hamilton has been hailed as the world’s greatest big-wave surfer. His first book, Force of Nature, allows readers a rare glimpse inside the unique philosophy that shaped his life. From his hardscrabble upbringing (abandoned by his biological father while still a baby and a high school dropout by the 11^th grade) to becoming a world-renown legend in the surfing world and the subject of Susan Casey’s highly anticipated new book The Wave which profiles the subculture of extreme surfing. In his own book, FORCE OF NATURE: Mind, Body, Soul, and of Course Surfing (Rodale Books; Paperback; $19.99; August 31 2010; 260 pages with 80 color photographs; ISBN 13: 978-1-60961-102-6). Hamilton details how he came to do exactly what he loves (while being surrounded by nature and family, radiating peak health and fitness, and becoming the world’s best in the process) and how readers can do the same in their lives.

In Force of Nature, Hamilton explains that it’s not about chasing trophies or accolades or cash. It’s about quality over quantity and being true to your physical, mental, and spiritual roots. Not only is it possible to thrive in the modern world without adopting its harmful habits, it’s essential. Hamilton mastered this balance and he makes a compelling and articulate case that anyone who wants to can do the same.

Force of Nature gives readers the tools to achieve their peak fitness in mind, body, soul (and, of course, surfing) and the inspiration to tackle their fears and follow their dreams. Hamilton and a bevy of top names in the world of sports training, nutrition, entertainment, and spirituality, including former pro volleyball player Gabrielle Reece, surf legend Dave Kalama, fitness gurus Paul Chek, T.R. Goodman and Don Wildman, and Food Network star Giada DiLaurentis all contribute their expertise.

This rare glimpse inside the mind, and behind the body, of one of the world’s greatest athletes is also an indispensable roadmap for anyone looking to tune into their own mind and body and for living their best life—now.

LAIRD HAMILTON, the guiding genius of big-wave surfing, has been featured in such magazines as National Geo­graphic, Esquire, Sports Illustrated, Outside, Men’s Journal, Time, GQ, and People. He has been profiled by 60 Minutes and starred in the film Riding Giants. He divides his time between the Hawaiian islands and Malibu, California.

Don’t Blame Laird for this! We have had some technical difficulties with our store this week so to show our apologies we have discounted every product 15%!  enter coupon code – blame – at checkout

Take advantage of some high quality products like:

Catie’s C’s and Greens ~ A Daily essential if you care about your health.

Blame Laird Gear – Caution ~ If you don’t want to spark up a conversation don’t wear these!

Standup Paddle Boards – We know these are an investment so take advantage of the 15% off!
(Laird-Surftech models only)

Laird’s Teaupoo 2000 Wave – ‘The Wave’ – Autographed Copy

Other great products available at shop.lairdhamilton.com ~ Laird’s official e-commerce store.

More Blame Laird gear coming soon!!

A Laird Hamilton Update
By Gabby Reece
8-3-10

Laird needs a thrill. A cheap thrill won’t do, he needs a big mountain or a large wave.  He has been really good about not feeling sorry for himself, but this reaction to no action is really at the core of who Laird is. He just flew to Utah today to do some demo’s for stand up paddle and he has a bit of traveling lined up in the next few weeks (NYC, Europe, and Hawaii). Busy, but not the same thing.

I have watched close to 15 summers of Laird going through this battle. He understands with his mind that it’s no big deal, but in his physiological and emotional self he gets down. This is the magic of Laird.  He really does all of this stuff and finds new ways to keep himself challenged because he needs too.  He would be perfectly content with doing some physically exciting thing in nature everyday regardless if anyone knew about it or not.  He does it for himself. Granted, he most likely would enjoy it with a few buddies, but in the end it’s for his own simple desire. If you asked him if he would like a building full of cash, hot chicks (remember this is his wife writing this), fast cars, fancy clothes etc., or just the promise of an active nature he would take the later. As all humans Laird is complex, but really what makes him happy is so constant. Good food, action, solid rest, time with the boys, time with his family, love, and more food.

He has gotten better at managing his summer time and waiting blues, but it still plagues him. In the end what makes us, is our gift and our curse. Maybe this is just the education of the human condition. So for now I will try to stay empathetic and give him his space while encouraging him to go somewhere if the weather shows signs of promise.

Best, Gabby

Posted By,
A Laird Life Editor

Laird on Force of Nature
Recipes, Workouts, and more…

This book is a deeply authoritative and cutting-edge guide to peak fitness in mind, body, soul, and surfing. It comes directly from the source and his inner circle, which includes those at the vanguard of sports, training, nutrition, and more. Former pro volleyball player Gabrielle Reece, surf legend Dave Kalama, fitness gurus Paul Chek, T.R. Goodman and Don Wildman, and Food Network star Giada DiLaurentis all contribute their expertise. Readers will get an all-access pass into an elite world filled with definitive and provocative ideas.

Shop.LairdHamilton.com now offers international shipping!!

Laird’s Stand Up Paddle Boards

Unfortunately you will have to go to Hawaii to get Laird’s fresh coconuts but he does offer some of his favorite products like C’s & Greens, and protein powder all high quality ingredients Laird puts into his morning smoothie. Or buy his incredible surf dvd pack and watch hours of jaw dropping footage; great to play during parties and events!

Posted by,
A Laird Life Editor
1-4-2010
Taken from Laird’s book,  Force of Nature

Laird Hamilton explains three ways to do a circuit training workout, one of his favorite ways to train in the gym.

Depending on how hard you want to go and how much time you have, you can choose how many rounds you want to do and how many reps you’ll do in each round.

1- The Basic Circuit: Three rounds:  First round is 25 reps;  second round is 15; third round is 5.  Increase weight  on each round.

2- The One-Round Endurance Circuit: One round:  Do 40 to 60reps (as many as you can do, keeping good form) of each exercise with light weights

3-The Grind: Six Rounds:  first round is 30 reps; second round is 20; third round is 10; fourth round is 5 (as heavy as you can go);  fifth round is 15, sixth round is 25.

Here’s an example of a few exercises.  All 15 exercises plus demonstrating photos can be seen in Laird’s book “Force of Nature”.

1- Crunch: Works your abdominal muscles and obliques (the muscles along your sides that enable you to bend and twist)

2- Plank: Arms are bent at 90-degree angle with elbows directly under your shoulders and palms flat on the ground directly under shoulders.  Hold for 1 minute.

3- Cable Pulldown: Use an overhand grip with your hands slightly more than shoulder-width apart, and pull the cables (or bar) down.  Keep your body stationary; make sure you’re not rocking backward and using that momentum to move the weight.

4- Chest Press: There are all kinds of ways to do a chest press, both on a machine and with free weights on a bench.  If you use the latter, you can vary the movement by changing the position of your body: flat, decline, or incline.  Each angle works your chest slightly differently.

5- Leg Extension: Sitting with your back flat and your feet hooked behind the pads, straighten your legs (being careful not to lock or hyperextend your knees.)  Slowly lower legs to starting position.

Posted by,
A Laird Life Editor
11-13-2009

Check out “10 Foods That I Love” by Laird.  All 10 foods are listed in Laird’s book “Force of Nature” along with great recipes and Laird’s “My Must Take Supplement List”

I love sushi, I love Japanese food, I love Hawaiian food- I love food in general.  But when I get down to specifics, these are the 10 things I’d have the hardest time giving up.

1.  ORGANIC, FREE-RANGE BEEF: Meat’s at the top of the list.  I’d last about a week (maybe) as a vegetarian.  Everybody’s biochemistry is different; some people thrive on a high-carbohydrate diet.  I’m not one of them.

2.  LOCALLY CAUGHT OPAH: Opah, also known as moonfish, is a white fish found in Hawaiian waters.  It lives at depths between 50 and 4000 meters down, often in the company of tuna and billfish.

3. PAPAYA:  A perfectly ripe papaya is a beautiful thing.  Along with its delicious  taste, it contains papain, an enzyme that helps digest proteins and acts as a natural anti –inflammatory in your system.

4. PINEAPPLE:  Pineapple is another awesome fruit.  Like papaya, it contains a powerful digestive enzyme, this one called bromelain (which helps heal bruising).  Pineapple’s loaded with antioxidants, too, as well as a trace mineral called managese, which is essential to build bone and connective tissue.

5. MUSTARD: I love the old-fashioned stone-ground stuff.  It’s a flavor that really appeals to me, so this fact is a bonus:  Mustard is so dense with minerals, phyonutrients, and omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids that up until the 20th century, it was considered a medicine rather than a food.

All 10 are listed in Laird’s Book – Force of Nature – get your copy or autographed copy today. Makes a great gift!

Workout Tips from big-wave surfer Laird Hamilton
August 17, 2009

By Jeff Ostrowski

Surf superhero Laird Hamilton is best known for catching waves like the one above, but to prepare for those inevitable hold-downs in huge surf, he logs plenty of time cycling and at the gym.

Hamilton’s recent book, Force of Nature: Mind, Body, Soul, and, Of Course, Surfing, serves up a heaping helping of useful health hints. I’ll never get towed into a 30-footer, but even a kook like me can benefit from Laird’s advice for making the most of weight workouts.

Some of his tips:

Don’t sit around between sets. “You want to get your heart rate up so you’re getting a cardio workout while you’re lifting,” Laird writes. “That means moving from exercise to exercise with as little downtime as possible.”

Alternate muscle groups. Bodybuilders like to work one muscle group to exhaustion, but Laird alternates between upper body and lower body, or works chest on one exercise and back on the next. (Glad I ignored that musclehead’s advice years ago about not switching muscle groups during my workout.)

Use your core. “Machines are great at targeting a specific area, but that’s not the way we use our strength in real life,” he writes. To combine strength training and a core workout, Laird stands on an upside-down Bosu ball for curls and rows. (For us mere mortals, the inverted Bosu ball is treacherous, so work up to it with a right-side-up Bosu ball, balance board or Indo Board.)

Vary your reps. Laird recommends 25 reps on the first set, 15 on the second and five on the third, with more weight on each set. (After 20 years of doing 10-rep sets, I tried this last week and found it freshened my stale workout.)

Change it up. Laird warns against doing the same workout every time you go to the gym (an infraction I’m definitely guilty of). Change the order of your exercises, and mix in new machines and exercises.

Finish with a “cardio chaser.” Laird suggests 15 to 30 minutes of low-intensity running, cycling or swimming to flush the lactic acid created by strength workouts.

Lose the shoes. Laird lifts while barefoot. Shoes cause the muscles, tendons and ligaments in the feet and ankles to atrophy, he argues, so he goes barefoot as often as possible.