Surfing
Surfing legend Kai Lenny still carries the spirit of youth inside of him and believes it's his secret to staying ahead of the game after all these years.
Maybe the true difference in stages of experience is efficiency. That the secret skill to levelling up lies less in working harder and more in working smarter. Not that Kai Lenny is anything but a full-grown grom. However, if the first episode of the brand-new Life of Kai season shows us anything it's that while the big-wave game may be evolving at a breakneck pace, Lenny's still consistently a game-changer in the realm.
From tactics of extreme breath-holds with his brother Ridge, to keeping his place in the cutthroat Jaws lineup or providing for his community (in more ways than one) when the worst natural disaster in recent American history strikes Maui, Lenny gives us the backstory on each and every topic portrayed in the high-octane season opener. And as far as the new generation nipping at his heels? He welcomes the competition with open arms.
There's been a lot of anticipation this winter among big-wave surfers with the forecast El Niño. How's that all unfolding?
Some scenes in the newest episode involved a lot of big-wave body conditioning, preparing for this El Niño winter. Any secrets to holding your breath in huge waves?
If there’s one takeaway – and there’s no real secret here – I'd say that you’re better off being consistent with breath hold training, rather than constantly pushing your limit. So, not just holding your breath for a long time, but doing exercises in an underwater cardio setting where you hold your breath maybe only up to a minute. I think that almost massages your lungs and allows them to expand more when it really counts. A lot of it is mental, though, and what I noticed this year is when I did it every day consistently, and I didn’t overdo it, was where I saw an improvement and increased comfort level with hold downs.
It's hard to maintain a level over a long period of time if you’re killing yourself every day, because eventually you're going to burn yourself out. So, backing off the intensity a little bit, but being hyper-consistent with it, is where I saw my threshold grow. You can't let your ego take control and pressure you into gaining higher static minutes. I found for myself that as soon as I wasn’t trying to have a personal best every time I held my breath, I felt 10 times better and it took a lot of pressure off me. It's good to get to an uncomfortable point, but not to the 'I might black-out' point. For training, it's just not necessary.
Tell us about the younger generation that we're seeing out there at Jaws. Is there some competition or any challenge to your place in the lineup?
I think the only way to be successful is that you've got to love the game, because it is a competitive field. There’s only so many great waves and you've got to go out there and get it, but 'the game' is also about being competitive with the ocean itself. It's bringing your absolute best every time you surf a giant wave and having a vision of what you want to do beforehand. What I love about the new generation is that they don't know that they're mortal yet [laughs], so their risk level is really crazy. They can get away with a lot, although eventually everyone discovers that there's a line in the sand that you can get close to, but you might not want to cross.
That being said, it’s really fun just seeing someone put on a really epic performance and get an incredible wave, which does make me feel, 'Hey, I can do that; I want to go deeper, I want to push harder'. So, it's not about beating anyone and more about being inspired. I really do believe if you don't have rivalries or a competitive spirit, then it’s really hard to get really good. You need to be pushed by someone. I think that's just human nature.
Good point. How do you get any better if someone isn't challenging you...
I just think it brings you back to your youth and being young, because when you're young, you're fighting to get to the top. It's important to keep that mind state where you're never complacent. While I may be in my prime because I'm 31, there’s 15-year-olds riding 50-foot-waves now. So, clearly, the game is going to continue to be pushed. At the same time, it's about looking inward as well, not focusing on what other people are doing, but using what other people are doing as inspiration. Observing others and seeing what's possible, then figuring out how to achieve it with your own approach.
If you don't have rivalries or a competitive spirit, then it’s really hard to get really good
You focus pretty heavily on the water safety crews on Maui in the episode. It seems like they've clearly been a big part of your life…
Basically, without them we wouldn’t be able to do what we do. I simply wouldn't be able to push myself as hard. Now, the water safety guys are riding the best machines in the world, which gives them the confidence they need. In turn, this gives me the confidence that I have in trusting that they can pretty much save me in any situation. It's so cool to see how the teams have evolved to become not only more calculated in the lineup, but actually meticulous off the water with their equipment. They've become really astute with their machines beyond just riding them. These guys know their machines inside and out and how far they can push it, which is an advantage. They're also always finding ways to pull maximum performance out of them.
And then there's some water safety people out there like Andrea Moller that wear a few hats, right?
Right. Andrea's incredible because until recently she held the record for the biggest wave ever paddled by a woman and she continually tows the biggest waves out there. She's probably been surfing out at Peahi longer than I have, but what's amazing about Andrea is that she’s an EMT and works in an ambulance. So, it's like having the most qualified big-wave surfer in the lineup every single swell, because her day job is to literally save people's lives.
Whenever someone gets hurt, she'll literally stop her session, come in and help. She's so qualified and doesn't need to ask a bunch of questions, because she already knows the answer. As far as water safety goes, if you were to come back from being unconscious, she’s the first person you’d want to see. Your life would be in good hands with her.
Speaking of terrifying situations, you cover the role that the water safety community on Maui had responding to the fires last year. Tell us about that time…
At first, it was honestly a little uncomfortable. Or, strange, might be a better word. Initially, you’re thinking that the firefighters and National Guard, or whoever are on it, and you don’t want to get in their way. But then we quickly realised how overwhelmed the firefighters were, so, as a community, we saw where we could help in places where there wasn't any attention. The last thing you want in an emergency situation is to be part of the problem or get in the way, so all of us big-wave surfers and water safety guys were quite cognizant of that.
Seeing all the displaced people in Lahaina that had nowhere to go, no supplies and were just cut off from the rest of the island with no fuel, no electricity – that was an area where we could help. We were able to transfer a lot of goods and life-saving equipment to hubs via jet ski and boat. Lahaina Town was completely burned down, so there was nothing for us to do in the burn zone and the whole time I was just finding a way to help. For me, a lot of that aid was more in the background in different ways, giving money to people that truly lost everything and really needed it.
How so?
Actually, through my Positively Kai Foundation, we were able to raise funds and get 96 percent of all of it to the people. Maui Pono Foundation is another great one, but the whole goal is to get the money straight to the families. Through these foundations, people are getting cheques, too. We know the community well, but people aren't favoured. There’s a vetting process that proves if they lived in the burn zone and aren’t trying to scam the system. Basically, we realised that there were millions of dollars flying around, but it wasn't all going to the people most in need. A lot of the money was going to 'administration fees'. With Positively Kai, for instance, the admin fees are only four percent, which is quite low. We’re just trying to get that aid to people the simplest way we can.
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