LAIRD HAMILTON: One Part BW Surfer, One Part Thomas Edison

Laird Hamilton has made a name for himself. There is no doubt about it. He is the quintessential Big Wave surfer..the poster child for finding, tracking, and taking on the most dramatic surfing conditions anywhere in the world. He is easily the most articulate and prominent representative for Big Wave Surfing, it’s not even close.…but, Laird Hamilton’s true legacy might have more to do with what he has in common with great inventors and innovators than with how he gets his body to perform…

Laird Hamilton stands out among all surfers of his day for being the supreme innovator in his sport, and maybe in any sport since Hobie Alter was designing foam and fiberglass surfboards in the 50’s and then later on, his iconic, ”Hobie Cat” catamarans in the 70’s, winning competitions with barely lifting a finger. Laird has changed the landscape of big wave surfing and brought stand up paddle boarding to the mainland. It is unclear just exactly how stand up paddle boarding (SUP’s) got it’s roots but Laird certainly packaged and promoted it for the masses. He has created a giant, ocean driven industry which has brought tons of people into contact with the surf and the ocean who otherwise stayed on dry land…

If that wasn’t enough, Laird invented and popularized the uber exotic sport of “Toe in” surfing. This is where big (and fast) waves are accessed with the help of partner driven jet skis that “tow” the surfer into a wave like a water skier. This allows surfers access to waves that would otherwise be too fast to capture by traditional paddling techniques. This opened up a whole new world.

Laird also found time to invent hydrofoil surfing. Who else would come up with that? It is more evidence of Laird’s constant pursuit of finding a new and different way to experience the ocean….

The first time I met him he told me of a motorized skateboard that he was working on that would allow you to go uphill....!!!

Laird is like no one else. He is a true “rugged individualist”. He joins no clubs, has no desire to surf competitively and he, and he alone, defines his rules of engagement. There aren’t too many of those guys around…ones who play by their own rules and don’t care what anyone else thinks.....he reminds me of a line from the movie Shawshank Redemption..... ”Get Busy Living, or get busy dying”.

The whole darn legacy is refreshing and inspiring for anyone, the surfer and non surfer alike. Be a maverick, a trailblazer, point to the stars and be a true and genuine source of light….be an American original, and don’t look back!

In following his own unique path, Laird has paradoxically brought more people into appreciating and participating in the ocean than probably anyone of his generation.

This is where determination, hard work, and hubris can take you…

Food for thought