You know those times when you’re caught inside for what feels like an eternity? Maybe you surfed a wave too far inside and got caught. Maybe you fell early and took the next set wave on the head. If you’re lucky, you’re paddling for the channel and back outside in a flash. But no matter what happened, getting caught inside on a big day isn’t exactly fun. Well, unless you’ve surfed maxing Pipeline (or somewhere equivalent), your caught inside story doesn’t hold a candle to Nathan Florence’s. Hell, we’d wager that most of Nathan Florence’s caught inside stories don’t hold a candle to what he recently went through.
While the video you see above is very long for a vlog, it’s filled with gems. For those who just want to see the actual surfing, skip ahead to the 10-minute mark. From a paddle out that sent Kai Lenny back to the beach to a handful of really, really good waves and a rare glimpse at recently injured Pipe hellman Kohl Christensen, it’s a good look at what it’s like to be at the top of the pecking order at Pipeline. Nate is oddly comfortable in conditions like the ones you see in the video. He’s giggling like a school girl while 15-foot bombs detonate just a few feet in front of him. It appears to be one of those days where “outside” is relative — paddling for the horizon doesn’t do much good, because there is always another one rolling in.
If you’ve surfed in Hawaii much, you know how fast things can go from manageable to unmanageable. And even when you’re at the top of the pecking order, sometimes Mother Natures decides to let you know she’s the one in charge.
