Listen: Maui Waterman Kai Lenny Talks Fear and Clarity in Big Wave Surfing

A few months ago, Red Bull launched a new surfing podcast called Family Crest.

It's where Peter Flax, host and editor-in-chief of The Red Bulletin, talks to the world's best surfers about "how their families impacted their journeys to become high-performing athletes."

In the third episode, Flax sat down with Maui big wave surfer Kai Lenny and his family to talk about life and surfing. In a just-released bonus episode, Lenny talks "more about what it's like dropping in on a monster wave."

Related: Clip: Surfer Paddles Around with a Pod of Curious Killer Whales

Describing the new release, Red Bull wrote:

"For surfers, specifically adventurous ones, it means big waves. In this bonus episode, Kai Lenny explains how he feels surfing big waves is his purest form, how surfing helped him channel energy that had him 'bouncing off of the walls' as a kid, and how being a father makes him train harder."

For Lenny, waves that make most surfers cringe with fear offer something else in his eyes, and that's opportunity.

"I'm at my most comfortable, I no longer feel fear, I see opportunity," Lenny says.

For him, huge waves are a "canvas" to get creative with.

He elaborates:

"All I see is what could be done on this wave, what am I going to do on it and everything else becomes secondary.

"Time slows down, what is only ten seconds feels like an entire minute. It's the only time I can control time or I can slow things down and really absorb everything that's happening.

"I think that's because I'm living so much in the moment that nothing else exists. Any troubles that plagued you on land are gone, at least for that moment. And that little mental clarity allows you to see problems that need to be solved later on with a fresh pair of lenses and that's not the only reason why.

"I just personally love riding these big waves and feeling connected to the ocean."

***

Don't miss another headline from SURFER! Subscribe to our newsletter, follow us on Instagram, and stay connected with the latest happenings in the world of surfing. We're always on the lookout for amusing, interesting and engaging surf-related videos to feature on our channels.

Whether you're a professional surfer or just an amateur, we want to see your best footage and help you share it with the world. Submit your video for a chance to be featured on SURFER and our social channels. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch high-quality surf videos.