1:30:04
What could be heavier?
1:30:07
Laird's wave at Teahupoo
was the most...
1:30:09
...amazing, single most significant ride
in surfing history.
1:30:12
More than any other ride.
1:30:14
Because what it did is it completely
restructured, collectively...
1:30:17
...our entire perception
of what was possible.
1:30:21
Go through a surf magazine, you've
seen Pipeline, Off the Wall, Waimea.
1:30:25
You've seen everything,
and none of it has any impact.
1:30:28
But when that photo came out...
1:30:31
...it stopped everyone's heart,
and they went:
1:30:34
"Where and what is that?"
1:30:37
I remember picking up that magazine,
and looking and just going:
1:30:41
"Man, that shit's impossible.
1:30:44
You don't do that."
1:30:47
In my absolute prime,
there's absolutely no way...
1:30:50
...I could ride a wave like that.
1:30:52
Normally, surfers are dragging
this hand along the face.
1:30:55
Laird had to drag his right,
his back hand...
1:30:58
...on the opposite side of his board...
1:31:00
...to keep himself from getting
sucked up in that hydraulic.
1:31:04
You know, in the middle
of that maelstrom...
1:31:07
...how did his mind say,
"This is what I have to do."
1:31:10
No one had ever ridden as Laird rode
on that wave before.
1:31:13
And so it was the imagination...
1:31:15
...of dealing with
that unimaginable energy...
1:31:18
...and coming up with
the plan spontaneously.
1:31:20
He couldn't practice.
1:31:27
I asked Laird, I said, "Laird,
why do you ride waves like this?
1:31:31
Why do you risk your life riding waves
like this?" He looked at me...
1:31:36
This is a week after he did this, and
he was drained from the experience.
1:31:39
He was very mellow and very...
1:31:41
I think he was humbled by
the experience, and he goes:
1:31:45
"Dad, I've trained my whole life
for this.
1:31:48
I don't wanna miss
an opportunity like that."