Laird Hamilton

“My morning sets the tone for the whole day, whether I'm gearing up to work, surf, or spend time with my family.”

“Exercising with other people, ideally those who have different strengths than you, is a natural performance enhancer. It's easy to slack off when it's just you and the mirror, but as soon as you put someone else in the room, your competitive side kicks in, and going hard becomes the only option.”

“Cultivating a relationship with discomfort will help you discern the difference between good pain and bad.”

“If you can look at one of these waves and you don't believe that there's something greater than we are, then you've got some serious analyzing to do and you should go sit under a tree for a very long time.”

“To me, there's nothing worse than waking up and realizing that the sun's already been up for awhile. I feel like I've missed out, like I'm only getting three-quarters of the day.”

“If you watch football players stretch before a game, you see a kind of agony on their faces that you don't see when they're on the field. This pain is why yoga incorporates so much breathing, because you have to exhale that discomfort out to get through it.”

“Everything comes down to attitude: You determine what yours is, and the external world will reflect it back.”

“There isn't a sport in the world - including swimming - that doesn't involve the foot, so when we train the whole body, we have to include the complex system of muscles, tendons, and joints around the ankle and foot.”

“Over the years, I've learned that two distinct forces lead people to put themselves in dangerous situations: ignorance and experience.”

“Everything is connected. Surfing is a solitary sport. But I can tell you that some of the most amazing things I've done surfing have come from being a part of a tribe.”

“Once you start being conscious of the repetitive motions that we all just accept as part of being human, you realize how little we do to counteract those motions. Instead we usually go out of our way to do more of them. Think of working out in the gym. All the movements are about folding inward.”

“Simple whole foods have powered our bodies for generations. You can't game the system with meal replacements, fake ingredients, or fad diets.”

“The potential for injury from outside forces is everywhere - so don't contribute to it with bad training.”

“Life is for living.”

“If I don't get a chance to work out first thing in the morning, my whole day sort of goes awry.”

“Coming up with new ideas keeps me young and excited.”

“I've dealt with plenty of injuries in my career, including six broken ankles and a torn ACL.”

“Swimming is the root of surfing. The first board you ever have is your body.”

“Anyone who knows what he's doing takes a serious attitude toward a risky situation and doesn't take it lightly.”

“I think I've had a few lives already. I know I feel sometimes that I'm maybe like a cat.”