I’d planned on and expected to get some time with Laird and Gabby to interview them. What I didn’t expect was that I didn’t need to. They were so present, so open, so conversational, engaged and collaborative throughout the entire experience that I was just able to be present, and eavesdrop on the countless conversations they were having with other attendees throughout the three days. I found myself sitting there, listening, absorbing, thinking, and quite frankly, recording it all in my mind (and a few things on my phone).
Here’s what struck me most: Laird could just surf all day if he wanted to. He has enough money, enough acclaim, that he could do whatever he wants at this point. Instead, he and Gabby choose to be there – morning, afternoon, and evening – sitting right next to that cold plunge, beside that pool, coming into the sauna to check on us, talking about anything and everything. Not once during those days did I feel like either of them was just doing a job.
This wasn’t like going to Michael Jordan’s basketball camp where the star shows up for the last five minutes to say, “Hope you had a good week.” It was the opposite. They were actually moving their coaches aside so they could immerse themselves more deeply in the experience of teaching themselves. They acknowledged and thanked their teams at every opportunity, but they kept pushing their way in to share their experience, perspectives and how they see it: “How about you try it this way… now try that way…” before passing you back to the other coaches. You could see their genuine excitement when they’d give you a tip and watch you execute it just a little bit better.
This week, you’re getting a special ‘How Laird Sees It’. These are my favorite answers and quotes gleaned from Laird Hamilton after spending three days with him.
How Laird Sees It
On Making Changes
“I think it’s incremental. People talk about consistency all the time… we’re all consistent. Like ‘oh, I’m not consistent’ – it’s like, you are. We’re all consistent. You’re just consistently making poor choices. If you could consistently start making better choices, things start getting better.” There’s something powerful about reframing consistency this way – acknowledging that we’re already consistent, just perhaps in ways that don’t serve us.
On Family & Risk
“People ask me, ‘Well, now that you have a daughter, do you do this?’ and I go, ‘Well, no, I wouldn’t stop because first of all, I want them to see me, what that does for me, how I am about it, what the aftermath of me doing it is like… don’t stop being who you are and don’t stop doing what you do that makes you you, because first of all, they didn’t ask you to be here.'” Laird distinguishes between using family as an excuse versus genuine concern, noting that many people say, “Oh, you know, I have kids now, so I don’t.” But actually, they just wanted to stop, and now they have a disclaimer.
On Age & Limitations
Their views on aging and limitations challenge everything we typically accept. “Everything’s mental,” Laird insists. “We get caught up in ‘here’s how I’m supposed to do it in my 20s’… and if you remain in that box, if you will, you miss so much because your perspective is so narrow.” This connects deeply with what we were experiencing in the training – the way they push you to expand your conception of what’s possible at any age.
On Fundamentals & Growth
“We’ve gone through this sort of technology part… and really we’re probably all gonna get back to the basics… If we can keep incorporating and questioning and being willing to play and fail, that’s something I’m always working on.”
Laird takes it even deeper, referencing universal principles: “They talk about certain laws that govern the universe… everything’s mental. The second law is the law of correspondence, the law of rhythm, the law of vibration… they’re all applying to everything that’s happening, because they’re laws that don’t cease.” This philosophical underpinning gives their approach a depth that goes far beyond just physical training or performance.
On Lifestyle Choices
“Since I stopped drinking, I sleep a lot better… When I drank, when I drink, I slept like a baby, but the quality isn’t there… as I got older, I couldn’t recover. So it just affected too many other things, and the tradeoff wasn’t enough.” Laird added insight about the cascading effects: “You don’t realize how much sugar is in alcohol until you stop drinking and then you just have a sweet tooth like you are looking for every single thing in the sugar… because the microbiome is like, ‘hey, you’re not feeding us.’ You crave what you eat… whatever you’re eating the most of is what you’re craving.”
On Community
Most importantly, they emphasize the role of community in health and growth. As Gabby puts it, “At the end of the day, I think that community is really the peace… in a day where we’re all obsessed with ourselves we can do this together, I think it really supports our health.”
