“People Glorify It”: Hawaiian Big Wave Legend Recently Opened Up About Living on Everyone’s Favorite Vacation Destination

Laird Hamilton is renowned in surfing history. He is one of the greatest big wave surfers of all time. He has overcome enormous waves across the world.  With a plethora of experiences with him thanks to his career, Hamilton is well equipped to share insights regarding tackling the seas. 

In an episode in October 2022 of the Whatever Podcast in Santa Barbara, Laird Hamilton shared his opinion about people who wanted to move to Hawaii in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Laird Hamilton’s advice for people looking to make a shift to the island life

“During the pandemic, a lot of people ran to paradise. So they ran to Hawaii,” said Laird. “I think living on an island has its general … I think people glorify it more often than not and don’t realize that it’s different”. “ Furthermore“, he explained, “being on an island is different, “Being in Hawaii is different than being on the continent. It’s just… I mean there are so many aspects of it.”

Hamilton did not hesitate to speak his mind because he understands that not everyone can adapt to a dramatic shift in their daily lifestyles. 

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The athlete elucidated, “If you wanna move to Hawaii you should probably go there first and spend some time and see if you actually wanna be there ’cause I know people that have moved there and then a year later they’re like… you know you can’t get everything you want from Amazon.” He continued, “It’s just a different lifestyle, so you have to be okay with being on an island.”

Laird Hamilton explained that it is not everyone’s cup of tea

Born in California, Hamilton spends a lot of time surfing in and around Hawaii himself. He explains how he is naturally acclimatized which can prove to a problematic for other people. “I grew up on an island so for me… I don’t feel ‘Island fever’ you know? People get the ‘Island fever.’ It’s hard for them,” he said.

In addition, he drew a parallel between cultural beliefs and ease of transition to a different setting. “You have to be the right person. There are cultural differences of course,” the veteran surfer stated. “The only time people have any kind of an issue, when they move to Hawaii, is when they try to bring their customs with them, And they don’t know how to adapt,” he concluded.

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When you relocate to Hawaii, there is a lot of accountability for your actions. Laird thinks that’s cool, but he also acknowledged that other people find it shocking. Hamilton has a tonne of experience as a surfer. He co-invented tow-in surfing. Along with his wife @GabbyReece, is the co-founder and co-creator of Extreme Performance Training as well as Laird Superfood which went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 2020. Additionally, he is the author of 2 books, an actor, and a model.