The wild story of Laird Hamilton, the greatest big wave surfer of all time

Laird Hamilton was the key figure in the development of big wave surfing at the turn of the century, riding some of the biggest waves to exist.

Half Hawaiian, half Californian, Hamilton had surfing in his blood, pioneering the birth of tow-in surfing and participating in some of the biggest wave sessions ever.

Known as a swell hunter, the legendary surfer has never stopped pushing the boundaries, ultimately risking death to ride the waves.

In the 1980s, Hamilton had become an accomplished surfer by the time he was 17 and could have left his modeling career to join the Surfing World Championship Tour.

However, competitive surfing and contests never appealed to Hamilton, who had to watch his dad endure the politics and luck of waves in world championship events.

When the 90s came around, Hamilton continued to reject the professional circuit and rolled around with friends called the 'Strapped Crew' because they strapped their feet to the boards.

With the 'Strapped Crew,' Hamilton started to push the boundaries of surfing, launching 30-foot sailboards and putting together paragliders and boards to create the first kiteboards.

Hamilton innovated 'Tow-in Surfing,' a technique that allowed surfers to approach the biggest waves on earth, utilizing jet skis or helicopters to gain speed.

The legendary surfer learned how to survive 70ft waves and carving arcs across the walls of water. He continued to experiment with big waves, which prepared him for the 'Ride at Teahupoʻo Reef.'

In August 2000, Hamilton changed the surfing world forever and put himself in the record books as he surfed the Teahupo'o Reef on the Island of Tahiti.

On the morning of August 17^th, Hamilton and the group of media professionals arrived at the scene, fully aware that a surfer had died just a week before.

The death was in the back of Hamilton's mind as Darrick Doerner towed him toward the larger-than-normal ocean swell, but it didn't stop him riding straight into the danger.

Picture – YouTube @Aloha Traveler

Hamilton surfed right through the middle of the wave's enormous vortex, setting up the first picture for all the media guys to take. The wave became known as the 'Heaviest ever ridden.'

According to mpora.com, Hamilton said: "That was all about faith. Believing I could. That wave in Teahupo'o was a wave we didn't know existed. We hadn't seen waves like that."

The innovative surfer is regarded as the 'all-time best of the best' at big wave surfing, regularly surfing waves at 35 feet and 70 feet, moving at speeds between 30 and 50MPH.

Hamilton still surfs in his spare time but has taken on the role of surfing advocate, promoting the sport at events and through business ventures.