| Laird Hamilton conquered Tahiti's Teahupo'o on the | | | | someone other than the audience determine my fate. |
| morning of August 17th, 2000 when his death-defying | | | | How does a musician judge his thing? By how many |
| drop into the big wave caught the world's attention. | | | | people love his music?" |
| This cemented his reputation as the greatest big | | | | In late 1992, Hamilton with some of his companions, |
| wave surfer of all time. A wipe-out in Teahupo'o, a | | | | such as Darrick Doerner and Buzzy Kerbox, started |
| particularly hazardous shallow-water reefbreak in | | | | using inflatable boats to tow one another into waves |
| southeast Tahiti, means almost certain death. | | | | which were too big to catch under paddle power |
| His ride there is known by surfers worldwide simply | | | | alone. The technique, which would later be modified |
| as 'The Wave', and a shot of him riding The Wave | | | | to use jet skis, was a revolutionary innovation. |
| made the cover of Surfer magazine, accompanied by | | | | Tow-in surfing, as it soon became known, pushed |
| the caption: "oh my god...". Afterwards even Hamilton | | | | the confinements and possibilities of big wave surfing |
| admitted that even he was pushing himself to the | | | | to a whole new level, although they met with mixed |
| "max, max, max, max". Such is his humility that he | | | | reactions from the surfing community, some of |
| broke down and cried after riding it. | | | | whom felt that it was cheating and polluting. Hamilton |
| Is this the greatest big wave surfer ever? | | | | explained that tow-in surfing was the only way to |
| It could be argued that no one has changed the face | | | | catch the monstrous sized waves such as those that |
| of a sport more in the last twenty years than Laird | | | | can be seen a Peahi (Jaws) off the coast of Maui |
| Hamilton has for surfing. He is a throw back to that | | | | and the coastline of Tahiti. |
| time when surfers prided themselves on being | | | | In 1999 Hamilton sailed his windsurfer between the |
| all-round waterman. He is also known as the guiding | | | | Hawaiian islands of Oahu and Kauai, some fifty miles |
| genius of crossover board sports. He is truly amazing | | | | away, in just under six hours. He later sailed his |
| in the water. He has been instrumental in pushing | | | | windsurfer back again. |
| stand-up paddling, foilboarding, windsurfing, kitesurfing | | | | He has also been credited with inventing the foilboard. |
| and long distance paddling, as well as his surfing and | | | | The foilboard is an innovative surfboard which |
| he and some friends invented the tow-in, which in | | | | incorporates hydrofoil technology allowing a higher |
| one winter seemingly doubled the number of waves | | | | degree of precision and effectiveness of aerial |
| that could be surfed in the world. | | | | techniques within the water. |
| Laird has been a major ambassador of his sport, | | | | Most recently, he has become the most public |
| spreading his love and respect for surfing around the | | | | practitioner and proponent of stand-up paddle surfing, |
| world. | | | | an ancient Hawaiian technique that requires an |
| A Surfer's History: | | | | enormous longboard and a long-handled paddle, as |
| Laird was born in San Francisco on March 2, 1964. He | | | | well as considerable skill, strength and agility. Some |
| moved, with his mother, to Hawaii when he was still | | | | "purist" surfers have blasted him for this, but Hamilton |
| an infant, and even as a child showed an | | | | has called it a return to an old, traditional Hawaiian |
| unquenchable thirst for adrenaline - footage has been | | | | way of surfing. |
| released of him jumping off a sixty foot cliff into | | | | However, it was his drop into Teahupo'o, which is |
| deep water at just 7 years old. | | | | widely considered to be the most dangerous wave |
| While a young boy, Laird met legendary 1960s surfer | | | | ever ridden, which became the benchmark in his |
| Bill Hamilton on Pupukea beach of the North Shore of | | | | career and his life. |
| Oahu; and introduced Hamilton to his mother. Bill | | | | [youtube= |
| Hamilton went on to marry Joann, and become | | | | He has often been credited for being able to conquer |
| Laird's adopted father. What better father, mentor | | | | such enormous 'big wave' surf because of his |
| and coach could a boy like Laird have? and to top it | | | | exceptional physical condition and stature. At 6'3" |
| off to have been brought up in one of the greatest | | | | (1.90m) and 220 pounds (102kg) he is able to take on |
| surf locations in the world - north coast Oahu. | | | | larger waves which many smaller surfers could not |
| By the age of twenty, Hamilton had already become | | | | physically handle. |
| an accomplished surfer and could have easily pursued | | | | Hamilton is now widely regarded as the "best of the |
| a career on surfing's World Championship Tour. | | | | best" at big wave surfing, regularly surfing swells of |
| However, competitive surfing and contests never | | | | 35 feet (11 m) tall, and moving at speeds in excess |
| appealed to him and he is quoted as saying, | | | | of 30 miles (48 km) an hour and successfully riding |
| "Contests are less about the one big wave than | | | | other waves of up to 70 feet (21 m) high, at up to |
| about your performances. Surfing is about your body | | | | 50 mph (80 km/h). |
| of work. It's about art. I would snap if I was letting | | | | |