Brush with Greatness

OK, I went out surfing for my second time since I hurt my foot, and it was another stellar day at Point Dume (above). The waves were big and powerful, Dawn, Brad and I were having difficulty catching them, but when we did, they were very, very intense. The beach was on a curved cove to the right of the bluff pictured below, and the waves would hit the beach, then roll back out, creating a mirror effect where the opposing waves would crash together. Fairly disquieting if you happened to be actually riding the wave.



After we had been out about an hour, we were watching a new set of waves coming in, when to my left a huge, chiseled blonde paddleboarder came flying down a wave:



Yes, it was Laird Hamilton, the most incredible big wave surfer of all time, he who regularly rides 50 foot waves at Pea'hi on Maui. I had heard that he sometimes paddleboards in Malibu, but I wasn't expecting to run into him. Dawn was in mild shock and couldn't stop staring at his Adonis-like physique. I was more geeked out due to the fact that he is one of my all-time heroes. I was paddling to make it over another big wave and not get pounded, when he started paddling in my direction. The only thought in my head was, "Please, please don't f*** up his ride for him." Instead of continuing in my direction, Laird executed a breathtaking 180 degree turn as he caught the wave and flew down the face away from me as I crested the peak.



We'll be out there again Monday morning.