To many, the ocean offers serenity and splendour. But for Laird Hamilton, it has served as a testing arena, a relentless force that has shaped him into one of the most pioneering and fearless figures in modern watersports.
As a pioneer of big-wave surfing and a leader in performance training, Laird Hamilton has spent a lifetime confronting the impossible. His journey, often unconventional and at times controversial, is a lesson in resilience, self-mastery and living with intent.
Early Life
Born in San Francisco in 1964, Laird John Zerfas moved to Hawaii with his mother at a young age. It was there that she married Bill Hamilton, a surfboard shaper and respected figure in Hawaii’s surfing community, who adopted Laird and gave him his surname.
Hamilton’s childhood was far from conventional. He struggled in the classroom and frequently found himself at odds with....
