Can you tell me about your most terrifying experience at Jaws? Any moments where you considered leaving big-wave surfing for good?
My first ever wipeout at Jaws, I remember being underwater. And in some way, accepting my fate. "Alright," I thought. "I guess I’m dying. I had a good life. It’s been 17 years of being alive, and everything will be fine." I had never experienced something so big and violent before. When I popped out the back, I remembered being so grateful. I was almost giddy and laughing.
That moment was a good lesson—from that point forward, I didn't look at things the same. I looked at all these experiences that were terrifying as major lessons. I never regret going through those experiences. I’ll never put myself in a position where I’m not willing to pay the consequences. I still find myself holding back in certain big wave moments, but I think as you get older and surf bigger waves, you gain enough to know the unknown. The unknown is the scariest, and now that you know what is scary, it is easier to process it all and stay calm.
What is the most significant piece of advice Laird Hamilton gave you while you were moving up in the sport and what advice would you give to others?
I remember Laird signed a poster for me for Riding Giants. Liard was superman to me. He was a God. I am who I am today because of the path that he and his friends had laid. What he wrote read, "You are your own best friend." And I think that means you have to be willing to, in life, take risks and be confident in yourself.
In big wave surfing terms, you have to be your best friend in moments when you are alone. I always thought that was a powerful piece of advice because there are moments when you are caught inside on a wave and while there are thousands of people on the cliffs watching, and helicopters buzzing, or jet skis racing, none of them can get to you. And at that moment, you are completely alone. You are on your own, and a lot of people hate being alone. Yet until you can learn to be comfortable being alone, you won’t conquer fear.