Do you remember the first time you were in the water?
My earliest memories are of being a little kid exploring tide pools at the beach. But the first time I truly “rode” a wave when I was four years old, that was transformative. In that moment, I knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Most people spend years trying to figure out their purpose. They go to college to discover themselves. For me, it was instant clarity: I’m going to be a pro surfer. At that age, you don’t doubt it. You just believe with all your heart. As adults, we overthink everything; as kids, we just go. A little self-belief is all it takes to carry you through turbulence. That first wave remains the best of my life – and I’ve been chasing that feeling ever since.
You’re known as one of the most versatile waterman in the world. Where does that drive to explore so many disciplines come from?
I’m purely a product of my environment. I was born in the right place, at the right time, with the right heroes. Back then, before social media, my world was small – just magazines, a few surf DVDs, and the people in my hometown. Those local legends became my superheroes. Today, kids grow up idolizing fictional characters with superpowers. My heroes were real, pioneers who were inventing the sports I now practice. They were riding Jaws, the Everest of big wave surfing, right in my backyard. That’s why I believe local heroes matter. Kids need tangible role models, people they can actually meet. Supporting your local athletes and creators helps build the next generation of dreamers. I was lucky to grow up in Maui, the Mecca of surfing and windsurfing. When I watched a movie and then saw those same people at the beach, it felt like magic.
You switch between so many sports – surfing, windsurfing, kitesurfing, foiling... How do you manage that?
In Hawaii, the conditions are good for everything. And my heroes were never one-trick athletes – they did it all. That became my blueprint. All these sports are connected. Surfing is the foundation: just you and a board. From there came windsurfing, then kitesurfing, then foiling – each an evolution of the last. At a certain level, transitioning between them becomes natural. They even feed into each other. Windsurfing teaches you to handle speed, kitesurfing helps you manage height, and foiling sharpens your balance. All of it prepares you for big waves – the ultimate test. Riding something that powerful, that alive, is unlike anything else on Earth.
Would you say big wave surfing is the hardest to master?
In some ways, yes – because you can’t just practice it whenever you want. Big waves don’t happen on schedule. You can train all year, and when they finally arrive, it’s usually when you least expect it. That’s what makes consistency so hard. The best big wave surfers are often in their late 30s or early 40s: still strong, but with decades of experience. Fear only fades with time. That said, the hardest technical discipline might actually be small-wave surfing. In big waves, you have a few seconds to think; in small waves, you have to react instantly. If you hesitate, it’s over. But mastering small waves trains your instincts – and that helps when you face the giants.
What keeps you going back to those extreme conditions?
There’s simply nothing like it. Big wave surfing isn’t something money can buy. The moment you step off the shore, you leave society’s comfort zone behind. It’s pure, unpredictable nature. You can’t fake it or pay for it. When you’re in survival mode, there’s no room for everyday worries – just focus, fear, and freedom. That rush, that flood of adrenaline, is indescribable. For fifteen seconds, time slows down, and you feel completely alive. You know you’re among a tiny fraction of humans who have ever experienced that. It’s addictive – the best kind of drug, one that’s actually good for you.
In those high-risk situations, how do you stay calm?
You can’t fight fear – you have to accept it. Once you do, it becomes liberating. True freedom comes when you relinquish control and trust your preparation. All the hours of training, the breath holds, the cardio, the technique – it’s baked into your body. When you drop into a massive wave, you stop thinking and just ride. Confidence is everything. When you stop fearing the outcome, your performance changes. There’s only one direction left: forward.
As a TAG Heuer ambassador, how do you relate to time and performance?
TAG Heuer is about precision – they’re the keepers of time. But in the ocean, time never stops. It’s chaos in motion. Out there, timing becomes survival. You learn to read the rhythm of the ocean: swells arriving every 20 seconds, sets every 30 minutes. If your partner wipes out, you might have 15 seconds to reach them. Every second counts. In that sense, my watch isn’t just a tool – it’s a lifeline. It helps me find order in chaos.
Could you share three moments that define your story?
The first would be catching my very first wave. That’s when my path was set – by a four-year-old version of me who somehow knew his purpose.
The second was my transition into adulthood. It’s a tough phase for any athlete – going from prodigy to professional. Around that time, I entered the world of big waves. It wasn’t about sponsorships or fame; it was spiritual. When you face waves that can kill you, you start believing in something greater than yourself.
And the third is more recent: reaching my thirties and realizing that nothing is impossible. With enough work, enough belief, you can achieve anything. That confidence – earned through experience – is the real superpower.
So your motto would be: nothing’s impossible?
Pretty much. It may sound cliché, but it’s true. I used to wonder if I could make my own boards for big waves. Now I know I build the best boards – for me. I’ve learned to question why things are done a certain way and, if no one has a good answer, to rewrite the rules. It’s not about being different for the sake of it – it’s about believing completely in what you do. Confidence is the key to everything.
