:23:01
... of surfers came charging
onto Hawaii's North Shore...
:23:04
... to campaign the huge surf.
:23:10
They were out to ride
the biggest swells...
:23:12
... nature could produce. So they built
what came to be known as "guns":
:23:16
Long, narrow surfboards
designed exclusively...
:23:19
... for catching the fast-moving,
25-foot waves of Waimea.
:23:25
I rode an 11-6.
:23:27
It was first and foremost
a wave-catching machine...
:23:31
...because if you can't catch
a wave, nothing else matters.
:23:35
Unlike the somewhat easy
takeoff of Makaha...
:23:38
... Waimea was a fear-inducing,
25-foot elevator drop...
:23:42
... sometimes requiring
more faith than skill.
:23:53
It almost doesn't help to know
what you're doing out there.
:23:56
If you know too much,
it intimidates you.
:24:01
Everything is moving.
Nothing is constant.
:24:03
It's so dynamic
that you can't pre-plan it.
:24:06
Not only are you riding this mountain,
it's chasing you...
:24:09
...and you have to use
your skill and ability...
:24:12
...to get away from this mountain...
:24:16
...but at the same time,
use it to your benefit.
:24:18
When you come down the face
of a mountain, you're on fire.
:24:21
Your heart is exploding, endorphins
are busting out in your brain...
:24:27
...and you want to not just prove
that you can do it...
:24:31
...but discover
what you're made out of.
:24:37
Apart from the challenge
of learning to ride Waimea...
:24:40
... was the even greater challenge
of surviving the horrifying wipeouts.
:24:45
You feel like a piece of lint
in a washing machine...
:24:48
...because the force of nature
you're in...
:24:51
...is so quantum
beyond comprehension.
:24:55
I can remember
fracturing my neck at Waimea.