There are only a handful of people on earth who have experienced what Ryan Hipwood has. He’s been in far bigger barrels than 99.9% of the surfing population. He’s been far deeper in those barrels than 99.9% of the surfing population who’ve been in barrels that big. That’s because he’s dedicated a vast portion of his life to putting himself in the right place at the right time, and that takes a very special kind of commitment.
Hippo spent a year chasing waves at home in Western Australia for the video you see above, where some of the world’s most terrifying waves can be found. His view of surfing, of course, is a little bit different than most–in fact, his view of what “fun” is a little bit different. “One of the biggest waves I’ve ever got at that spot,” he said of The Right, ““I can’t say I enjoyed it exactly. If I’d blown it I think I probably would have died.”
He’s not slowing down, either. That’s because big wave surfing is a whole different animal than regular surfing. In bigger waves knowledge plays a much bigger role, and the more you surf waves the size Hipwood does, the more you learn. “Your peak performance isn’t in your mid-20s,” he said in the Surfline feature about The Drop Less Taken. “There’s so much stuff you learn beyond that. I look at guys like Twiggy and Dorian and they are at their best and they’re in their 40s. If you can stay in condition and you’ve got the desire and the support, that’ll be your peak.”
Read the entire feature on Surfline.com.
