Mark Healey is a staple in the big wave surfing community. He’s proven time and time again that when things get too big for most other surfers, he’s just getting warmed up. Remember this wave at Puerto? Or this wave at second reef Pipe? Or this Teahupo’o party wave? Or (and this one’s not a wave, it’s just a generally awesome clip) that time he jumped off the boat at Maverick’s?
He knows how to handle heavy water. He wrote the proverbial book on it and taught the class on it. He walks the walk and talks the talk. He’s a perennial invitee to the Eddie because of it, and this year was no different.
Although he didn’t win — that honor was bestowed upon Luke Shepardson in one of the best Cinderella stories in all of surfing — he sent it. Sent it to the moon. Here are a few minutes of footage showing that, even after all these years of charging the biggest waves he can find, he’s still pushing the limits of what one can do with board and oversized surf.
Learn to push yourself, keep calm, and manage fear in heavy surf with Mark Healey’s Guide to Heavy Water.
