Photograhic proof: Laird Hamilton is a Space Alien!

I went to Jaws yesterday afternoon, I heard it was going to be going off and there would be a big photo session with the master of surf photography–Don King. When we arrived on the bluff overlooking Peahi there was a half dozen jetskis in the water, and one guy on a standup paddle board. Obviously Laird. I assumed he’d be switching to a tow in board, I heard he was going to do some foil boarding. It was small for Jaws, just the size of a three story building, maybe four. The swells were building as we watched. I could only stay for a half hour–we had a dinner engagement and Diane was with me. If I’d been alone I would have been very, very late. There were very few people watching–two small groups. But as Diane dragged me away kicking and screaming half an hour later there were dozens of cars streaming in, including two wildly inapproporate rental mustangs being driven fast over the hideous “road” by wide-eyed sufers. The pineapple telegraph was obviously working just fine, if a little slowly. Don’t buy any used mustangs from rental companies for awhile.

If you click on a photograph it will get a little bigger. the tumbnails at the end are linked in a slideshow–if you open the first one and them hover your mouse over either side you’ll see “next” and “previous” buttons.

Small for jaws. Note the standup board next to the waverunner at the base.

I apologize in advance for the pictures, all I had was my point-and-shoot Canon A70. But here’s the story–Laird never touched a tow rope in the time we were there. Not only did he surf Jaws on his standup, he also paddled out after catching waves, got into position, moved from one side of the wave to the other. Everything, all on his own steam. And fast too. Simply unbelievable.

He never fell off, never missed a wave he paddled to catch. In fact he never wound up in the water the whole time we were watching. for all I know he stepped off the board and walked home across the bay afterwards–it wouldn’t have been any more amazing. Not human. The only rational explanation: Space Alien.

Tow-in guys. I know Dave Kalama was there, don’t know who else.

Hamilton moving over to the (surfer’s) left side

Looks like he’s standing in front of a freight train. Any normal human would need a change of shorts

This is the first wave he caught. Look at the next picture below to see how fast he winds up at the top of the wave. This may not look spooky to most folks, but anyone who has ever surfed on even a moderately big wave knows what a huge drop and steep drop he was looking at right then. I’d assume my board was going to spear into the bottom of the wave and pearl until it hit New Zealand.

He caught this wave and got down into the barrel.

This looks like the nexrt picture in the sequence, but it’s not. I was so dumbfounded I forgot to keep shooting. But this is how he rode most of the waves. Deep in the barrel, looking like he was getting wiped out every time, but he always came out. He was moving back and forth on his board with incredible speed.

The rest of these photos are kind of screwed up, my autofocus picked up that blade of grass and found it simply fascinating. but they are what they are. Enjoy.

And one last shot called YIKES!