Show Notes
In today's episode, Jordan sits down with Laird Hamilton, the big wave surfer and tow-in surfing innovator, for a wide-ranging conversation on facing fear, finding flow state and building a life around constant pursuit. Laird explains how he learned to read the ocean, why he sees surfers as wave readers first and riders second, and how a lifetime in giant surf has shaped his relationship with risk and mortality.
Laird takes us back to his childhood in Hawaii, where he first learned about the ocean at Pipeline, one of the most dangerous beaches in the world. He describes growing up poor and feeling like an outcast on land, and why the ocean became his sanctuary. He explains how repeated brushes with death recalibrated his mind, why he believes fear of death should be respected but never allowed to control you, and how experience builds a very different kind of courage from denial or ignorance.
The conversation then moves to the moment that disrupted the surf world, when Laird rode an unrideable wave at Teahupo'o in Tahiti. He walks Jordan through the morning of the session, the technique of towing into waves too fast to paddle, and the intense moment inside the wave that left him in tears. He also opens up about the crash that follows a huge day, how he learned to recognise it and manage it, and why he believes half the solution is simply knowing the problem.
Laird also shares his thoughts on ego and approval, why the ocean keeps humbling him, and what respect really means. He talks about the injuries that come with a life in the surf, why he has never seen himself as having retired, and how hydrofoiling keeps him in the position of a beginner. He discusses raising three daughters while continuing to chase big waves, staying with his wife Gabby for around 30 years, and why he lives by the rule "Never let your memories be bigger than your dreams." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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