IN THE MAGAZINE: KAI LENNY ON THE CONNECTION BETWEEN BIG-WAVE SURFING AND SNOWBOARDING

This piece is excerpted from the feature "Unridden Realm Redux" with Kai Lenny in the new print issue of SURFER. Order your copy here.

I’m trying to think outside the box on how I want to approach big-wave surfing. Snowboarding has been a great source of inspiration because of how the riders utilize all the different parts of the mountain. While I’m dropping in and going over large bumps on the face of a wave, I figure I may as well do a trick off of them versus just surviving. I’m not sure I’ll ever truly reach the level that I know is possible, but I’m going to give it a go.

No doubt the sport had huge leaps forward because of safety and increased levels of physical fitness. I also think many great big-wave surfers became the best based on accumulating years of experience. Big-wave riding is one of those sports where experience is nearly more important than being young and extremely fit. It’s because you’ve been there, seen that, know how to handle pressures and what to expect.

The scariest thing about riding big waves is the fear of the unknown. Can I paddle into this big of a wave? Is it possible to do a flip on this part of the wave? Can I survive a wipeout? The older guard knows what to expect. All that being said, I don’t get to ride big waves as much as I’d like to because big waves don’t happen all that often. I do visualize and daydream about them often, usually to the point my heart rate increases and I get chicken skin. I’ve had experiences where when I finally arrive at the big-wave spot after months and months of visualization and it almost feels like déjà vu. Imagination and experience are what will take big-wave surfing forward.

2024-09-16T16:26:48Z dg43tfdfdgfd