Laird Hamilton is not human. No way. The man is beyond physically fit and can handle the most insane water conditions imaginable - in fact, he chases them down. He's like Neptune, if Neptune was an X-games champion and Superman. Plus he's supposed to be a great guy and family man. And a badass.
Let me tell you just how badass. He did the 426 kilometer crossing between London and Paris in two days with his own manpower: pedaling a bike and paddling across the English Channel on a stand-up paddleboard. Phew. It makes me exhausted just thinking about it.
I tried the stand-up paddleboard yesterday. 4 tries and I almost got up on it. They say it takes about a day, so I actually did all right - they recommend that you paddle on your knees for a while before standing. All I know is that I felt what it feels like to have to do something. I will get up on that board. I was on a Town & Country 10'6" board, which is about a foot shorter than what I would have been on had I rented one - but I will master that board. It is my white whale.
Right now Laird is designing oversized paddleboards (think of his creation of the foil board and imagine his determination in this area). He's an enormous human being, yet when he stands up to one of his paddleboards, he looks like a dwarf. These bigger boards, called Guns, are larger and heavier so that they can handle the BIG waves. I think his latest board measures about 14 feet right now.
There is nothing like attempting something to understand and appreciate when someone is the master of it. Watching Laird on a paddleboard is amazing - he is so in command, and so fluid. Best of all, you can tell that he is having the time of his life. And that's what it's all about, at any level.
