Laird

Last night my wife's brother was over for dinner.  After we'd finished he put in a DVD he said we had to see: Riding Giants.  It's a documentary about big wave surfing, from the beginnings in the 1950s through to today.  The film progresses through various phases of surfing, ending-up with a lengthy section about Laird Hamilton.  Laird has taken surfing to new heights (literally), introducing an innovative way to use jet skis in order to tow surfers onto waves that are moving too fast for paddling.  In one clip (watch it on-line here) he drops into an 80 foot monster and changes surfing forever.

I'm not an athlete, and so I have tremendous respect for people like Laird, who aren't afraid to push themselves past the point of perceived possibility.  At one point in the film he says, "I'm only able to do this because my friends push me."  I get that.

Simply amazing, and well worth watching.

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