“There are no new ideas, just new applications of old ideas.”
– Laird Hamilton
Laird Hamilton (@LairdLife) is widely considered the greatest big wave surfer of all-time. He is credited with the creation of tow-in surfing, as well as the rebirth of stand-up paddle boarding. To get amped for my below interview with him, check out a few minutes of this insanity:
Hamilton has starred in multiple surfing films and was the centerpiece of Riding Giants, a documentary about big wave surfing. Laird was also Tim’s teacher in the surfing episode of The Tim Ferriss Experiment, which took place in Hawaii.
Laird is known for using his sports fame to raise money for charities including Race Across America, Pipeline for a Cure for Cystic Fibrosis, and Rain Catcher, among others.
Gabrielle Reece (@GabbyReece) has been named one of the “20 Most Influential Women In Sports” and is best known for her success in volleyball.
Reece led the Women’s Beach Volleyball League in kills for four consecutive seasons.
Elle magazine once called Reece “one of the five most beautiful women in the world,” and Rolling Stone placed her on their “Wonder Women” list. She parlayed that into a successful modeling career and then starred as a trainer on The Biggest Loser. Her crossover success led to her becoming the first female athlete to ever design a shoe for Nike.
Brian MacKenzie (@iamunscared) is the founder of CrossFit Endurance and the author of the New York Times best-selling book Unbreakable Runner.
MacKenzie has created controversy by suggesting a counterintuitively minimalist approach to distance running. He challenges not only high-mileage runs, but also high-carb diets, and he incorporates intense strength training to conquer everything from 5K runs to ultra-marathons. He was also prominently featured in The 4-Hour Body, where he revealed how to prepare for a marathon in record time.
MacKenzie has been featured in Runner’s World, Men’s Journal, ESPN, Outside, and The Economist.
- Listen to it on iTunes.
- Stream by clicking here
- Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as”.
Want to hear another podcast discussing underwater training from a friend of Laird Hamilton? — Listen to my conversation with Rick Rubin. In this episode, we discuss cultivating world-class artists (Jay Z, Johnny Cash, etc.), losing 100+ pounds, and breaking down the complex (stream below or right-click here to download):
This episode is sponsored by Athletic Greens. I get asked all the time, “If you could only use one supplement, what would it be?” My answer is, inevitably, Athletic Greens. It is my all-in-one nutritional insurance. I recommended it in the The 4-Hour Body and did not get paid to do so. Get 50% off your order at Athletic Greens.com/Tim
This podcast is also brought to you by 99Designs, the world’s largest marketplace of graphic designers. Did you know I used 99Designs to rapid prototype the cover for The 4-Hour Body? Here are some of the impressive results. Click this link and get a free $99 upgrade. Give it a test run…
QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: Of the topics covered in this episode, which would you like to hear more about in the future? And what questions do you have for Laird and Co.? Please let me know in the comments.
Scroll below for links and show notes…
Enjoy!
Selected Links from the Episode
- Check out Riding Giants, the documentary on big wave surfing
- The Unbreakable Runner by Brian MacKenzie
- Watch Laird teach Tim to surf on The Tim Ferriss Experiment
- Learn more about Elevation Masks
- Learn more about the chaga mushroom
- Tao Te Ching by Laozi – recommended by Brian
- Way of the Peaceful Warrior – recommended by Brian
- Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand – recommended by Gabby
- The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho – recommended by Gabby
- Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien – recommended by Laird
- Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach and Russell Munson – recommended by Laird
- Dune by Frank Herbert – recommended by Laird
- Natural Born Heroes by Christopher McDougall – recommended by Laird
- Deep Survival by Lawerence Gonzales – recommended by Laird
- Check out the documentary recommended by Brian McKenzie, Spinning Plates
- Connect with Brain McKenzie:
Athlete Cell | Instagram | Twitter
- Learn more about Gabby Reece:
GabbyAndLaird.com | GabbyReece.com | High X | Twitter | Instagram
- Learn more about Laird Hamilton:
LairdHamilton.com | LairdStandUp.com | LairdLife.com | GolfBoard.com
Show Notes
- Challenging yourself with underwater weightlifting and elevation masks [6:39]
- Laird Hamilton’s potent yellow energy elixir [16:39]
- Gabby’s experience with fear as a volleyball champion and the host of The Extremists [18:24]
- When MacKenzie thinks of successful, who comes to mind, and what are the characteristics that make people great? [23:24]
- On a healthy integrated life, and how Hamilton and Reece think about parenting [26:09]
- On how to cultivate a thriving relationship: training, confidants, and value Systems [34:49]
- Most gifted books [41:09]
- Laird Hamilton’s formula for invention in sports [46:54]
- On the foil board and the goal to ride the biggest waves in the world [53:29]
- What makes Laird Hamilton so resilient [1:02:54]
- Advice for an beat-up athlete hoping to get back to high performance [1:05:49]
- Laird Hamilton’s mantra of “training for life” [1:08:39]
- On isolating your weaknesses, identifying flaws, and working to fix them [1:13:49]
- Discussing Don Wildman and his incredible physical prowess at the age of 82 [1:19:54]
- Who are the people who inspire Brian MacKenzie? [1:26:39]
- Advice for your 30-year old self from Gabby, Laird, Brian, and Tim [1:31:29]
- Recommendations and asks for the audience [1:39:59]
People Mentioned
The Tim Ferriss Show is one of the most popular podcasts in the world with more than one billion downloads. It has been selected for "Best of Apple Podcasts" three times, it is often the #1 interview podcast across all of Apple Podcasts, and it's been ranked #1 out of 400,000+ podcasts on many occasions. To listen to any of the past episodes for free, check out this page.
Comment Rules: Remember what Fonzie was like? Cool. That’s how we’re gonna be — cool. Critical is fine, but if you’re rude, we’ll delete your stuff. Please do not put your URL in the comment text and please use your PERSONAL name or initials and not your business name, as the latter comes off like spam. Have fun and thanks for adding to the conversation! (Thanks to Brian Oberkirch for the inspiration.)
This is great! B-Mac’s stuff is fantastic.
After hearing Laird, I’d love you to interview Kelly Slater!
I would love to hear more on training your mental performance for a physical performance.
Haven’t gone through this podcast yet but I wanted to say I’m enthusiastically waiting for your second round of conversation with Dr. Peter Attia!
I hope guys talk about things like thyroid levels and ketosis and generally about the argument:
“Eating carbohydrates and using glucose as fuel is the ideal energy source as it increases oxygen consumption and C02 levels. As we age, our mitochondria function less efficiently (due to ageing itself and environmental factors) and in that state ketones are a good substitute fuel.”
There are a lot of studies converging towards the above (albeit layman) reasoning. e.g. A few recently studies on obesity being reverse by aspirin (implying FFA and inflammation as the cause for insulin resistance), lowering prolactin/increasing dopamine, lowering peripheral serotonin. I would love for you both to dive into it.
For reference, here are few articles illustrating the above:
Aspirin as promising treatment of obesity:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4105730
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12021247
Reducing peripheral Serotonin as reduces obesity:
http://www.nature.com/nm/journal/v21/n2/full/nm.3766.html
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/141208144408.htm
Great interview ( great sound quality ) would love to know more about your Mic recorder setup! I see you had 3 mics jacked into a zoom and a back up zoom and the Yellowtec iXm did you sync up your Yellowtec iXm audio in post production?
Cheers
Yep, sync’d them up in post. I had 3 mics (Shure SM85 and Audio Technica ATR-2100?) into a H6 Zoom via XLR, then my iXm for me, with an H4 as backup.
Can never have to many backups!
Loved the mini behind the scenes snippet video … thank youfor sharing. If you ever can fit in a small video snippet of the interview scene it really adds to the enjoyment and context of the interview! It looked like you where all naked! 🙂
Cheers and thank you for the info Tim!
Another great episode!
Couple things stuck out to me:
1. There was multiple mentions of the importance of breathing. I’d love to hear more about this. Tim mentioned trying to get Wim Hof on the podcast, which would be awesome.
2. Gabriel talked about “going first”. I loved the simplicity of this. Definitely something I’m going to keep in the back of my mind as I go throughout my day.
Gabby’s the bomb. Such elegant advice, and so immediately actionable.
Hi Tim, another great podcast! Thanks!
I was so glad to hear Brian talk about awareness in response to your question about broken athletes. I don’t know if you remember me mentioning in the comments for Pavel’s episode that the minimal training advocated by Coach Ross in the 4HB was a big factor in making my training more sustainable and helping me reach the 2012 Olympic standard in the Long Jump. However most athletes, me included, find it hard to restrain themselves from going all out in every session because we’ve been indoctrinated with the notion that working hard = progress = winning. Personally, I get a bit antsy when I hear the advice about “grit” and perseverance that is so en vogue today. Sure, star athletes are relentless, self-disciplined and work extremely hard on both their weaknesses and strengths. But I think this is an excellent example of survivorship bias because so do all the athletes in the second row. In fact I would posit that these athletes are often even grittier and determined as they have yet to break through and reach their goals. What most of these athletes lack, and again this includes me, is the awareness how their body is feeling today, what is working and what not, and what I should be focusing on and what not? In essence the awareness for deliberate practise and the ability of applying the scientific method to their training. This is precisely why even great athletes still rely on coaches because it is so hard to develop this objective awareness about yourself. Flogging it 24-7 and advocating that all you need is grit and standing power to get through the tough sessions leads to injuries, burnout and less overall practise time for the majority of athletes.
That’s why when we try to learn lessons from top athletes I think grit and determination are only one side of the coin. If you are interested, there is a great documentary on the Swedish track national team on how too much goal-orientedness can induce blindness and lead to some gruesome injuries. It’s called the Price of Gold: [Moderator: link removed] Great watch!
Thanks again for the fun episode,
Rainer
Thanks so much for the great comment, Rainer. I totally agree. I remember Charlie Francis writing about how important it was for him to dial back most of his top athletes (including Ben Johnson) and NOT encourage them to do all they can do. His job was to hold them back in many respects, to ensure they’d last until peaking at competition. I’ll check out the doc!
Tim – phenomenal podcast. I enjoyed (as always) the breadth of topics you’re able to cover in these longer format sessions. The in-depth discussion of parenting strategies and the importance of touching and treating children as adults juxtaposed with Laird’s obsessive need to complete and work on innovative projects, along with a discussion of breathing (it would be great to get Wim on the podcast!) was a true pleasure.
I also appreciated that no details are skipped – the detailed description of the turmeric, pepper, honey, and apple cider vinegar beverage, and how the turmeric is sourced, etc. was a treat.
Thanks, Jeff! It’s one hell of a tasty drink, too 🙂
Tim – can you get and share some more information about that drink, i.e how much of each ingredient, preparation instructions, etc…. Thank you!
I assume this is the recipe:http://www.mensjournal.com/health-fitness/nutrition/laird-hamiltons-inflammation-fighting-turmeric-juice-recipe-20150707
I’ve only listened to a handful of pod casts and have thoroughly enjoyed most. However the two type A personalities (hubby/wife) combo talking over each other constantly for about the first hour was a bit hard to get through. After that it was a great last hour or so.
Just came back from the gym – have been listening to this podcast and man, this is so motivating! Great people, insane ideas and tons of inspiration. Thanks Tim for a great work!
Hi Tim,
Way cool!
I’m in the Bukit of Bali – surf central – and although I don’t hang 10 I always hear about Laird and his legendary big wave exploits. His limiting belief slaying and your strategies for making freeing yet highly uncomfortable choices have inspired me to publish 68 books – eBooks and paperbacks combined – to my name, in under 10 months. Woohoo! After seeing him slay limiting beliefs and fears through all the surf books laying around the villa I had to put things into overdrive.
Awesome to see people push themselves beyond limits to break the paradigm, eh?
Thanks Tim! Keep on inspiring bro!
Ryan
Tim,
I don’t listen to many podcasts, but yours I subscribe to because I get exposed to so many things I didn’t know about or expect, that I can apply in all areas of life. I find myself being able to relate to new kinds of people and
have new perspectives on things I experience.
But, one ask:
As an interviewer, can you please stop cutting people off and ending their sentences for them?
It occurs here and there, e.g. in the Whitney cummings episode (which I loved!).
I understand this can be good in private conversation, because it shows you understand them. But in a conversation that is intended to also be presented to others, it can negatively impact the value of the podcast. It gives your own interpretation of what’s being said, instead of letting the listener interpret it himself.
You’re very good at simplifying what’s being said, but please do so after the person has finished speaking, instead of cutting them off.
Just wait a few seconds when getting the impulse to jump in, for the sake of the listener.
Again, love the work you do. Information like this wouldn’t be available without it. I always come away more curious about the world, questioning my own habits and beliefs, and feeling like I’ve basically been on a long walk with the person you interviewed.
I do respect the above listeners comment but also want to throw in that I think helping the interviewee to consolidate their reply leads to the show being able to cover more subjects. kind of like squeezing the juice from an orange to enjoy the taste of the orange without having to spend the time chewing on it.
I listen to a podcast called HERES THE THING and alec does the same thing. this isn’t an all day seminar and i would bet that the people being interviewed also see it as a positive aspect of the show. again, no disrespect to the above commenter.
Hi Tim,
Brilliant stuff once again. Listening to the podcast around the farm whilst getting ready for the Barley harvest. Love it.
Could you do me a favour and elaborate on the drink that you has post-workout?
What were the rough quantities of each ingredient, and how much was it diluted by water?
Is it something you will be having again?
Thanks Tim.
Patrick
If anyone else is interested, I have found a link with the details of the drink in the show….
http://www.mensjournal.com/health-fitness/nutrition/laird-hamiltons-inflammation-fighting-turmeric-juice-recipe-20150707
Tim bi congrats, this was an awesome episode, so much passion & heart. I second jj – Kelly Slater on the Tim Ferriss Show would be brilliant, 11-time world champ, all round renaissance man – great podcast content. However, given Brian was on the podcast I was really hoping you would finally reveal the results of your ultra-marathon experiment. Coming soon?
Have to also say super stoked to hear a timeless root like turmeric cutting through the supplement rhetoric. I’ve been chugging this gorgeousness for a long time & have had fantastic results. The anti-inflamattory properties are incredible. Ditto also to Gabby’s ‘going first’ philosophy, it sounds overly simplistic but sometimes a smile is all it takes to shift the dynamic of your environment. I love how eloquently she captured this.
Tim, in that photo, how come you’re the only one not shirtless, yet you’re still the one with the most prominent nipples?
Excess estrogen and prolactin. If he’s still on the daily 50-100mg DHEA (due to his lyme disease), he has major estrogen conversion. Ideal daily intake of DHEA is 15mg, with no more than 5mg per dose. This will ensure maximal conversion to DHT with little to no conversion to estrogen (see the first study below).
References:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4364836/
http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/9/1/47
http://ajpendo.physiology.org/content/301/2/E274.long
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16794854
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2267683/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17052700
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16630690
Tim, thanks for another great podcast. I’d love an interview with Laird on his own. More than that, I’d love an interview with Kelly Slater: the GOAT surfer (by a longshot), a contender for the greatest athlete of all time, and the epitome of athletic longevity.
Loved this podcast. I’m constantly in front of a computer so the connection between breath and posture resonates in a big way. Loved hearing Gabby and Laird’s perspective on parenting and agree with the concept of “being first”. Feeling inspired. Thank you for another great interview, Tim.
Hi Tim,
Great interview. I found Laird’s Tumeric juice recipe at link below, but have been trouble finding liquid pepper extract (bioperine). (I can only find it mixed with tumeric in capsule form.) Any brand or source suggestions welcome. Thank you.
http://www.mensjournal.com/health-fitness/nutrition/laird-hamiltons-inflammation-fighting-turmeric-juice-recipe-20150707
Hi Tim, Maybe you could add Wim Hofman in the shownotes. Laird, Gabrielle and Brian are pretty enthusiastic about his works. http://www.wimhofmethod.com/
Very enlightening and entertaining podcast–I listened to it twice in a row. What is the spelling of the name (or more info) on the young gymnast who inspired Brian McKenzie?
Dude, when are you getting Elon Musk on the show? If you can get him on your show I’ll come back to listening to your podcast.
Hello Tim,
I want to recommend someone for your podcast who is an under-appreciated top performer at his craft.
Tom Muzila, – author of Mental-Karate:A Warrior’s guide, ex special forces, extensive special training, celebrity bodyguard, bodyguard trainer, and 5th degree (highest in system) black belt in traditional Shotokan Karate under Mr. Tsutomu Ohshima.
He’s perhaps one of the few out there who is truly credible on applying ancient warrior concepts to extreme training or life/death situations over and over throughout life. There are some old interviews of him around online that I recommend checking out. Here is one: http://www.shotokai.com/ingles/interviews/muzila1.html
Hi Tim, so freaking awesome to finally see “jonathan Livingstone Seagull’ come up in a podcast (I have my favourite quote from the book tattooed).
** It didn’t come up in the Podcast, but did you cover Laird,Byron’s etc thoughts on Flow? (i.e Rise of Superman or Mihaly)?.
** Lastly can I suggest ** Apollo Robbins ** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Robbins as a guest “an artful manipulator of awareness”, otherwise known as the Psychological Gentleman Thief.
YES (Iron) Tim Ferriss, the sound was perfection. GREAT JOB, so good. Thank you so much for the questions, and production quality!
I’m going to go first here:
You know that I really have to shout out how much I love your work that about your work… I mean, Gary Vaynerchuk talks about how people like Zuckerberg executing consistently for YEARS and YEARS. And I think that’s so hard to do, and you do it so well. So much so that I can blindly recommend anything you’ve done to anyone.
I love you, Tim. And I was able to take a lot of good stuff from this. Particularly awesome was Gabrielle’s suggestion of admitting when you’re wrong or being unfair to children. And Laird being relentless to accomplish his goals. And how everyone’s just doing their best.
Just hoping that you don’t start putting kettlebells into your descending aorta like it seems Laird and Kelly are doing.
Hi Tim,
Looking forward to listening to this as always.
As per 4 hour body, did you ever do the marathon? If so, what happened? It has not appeared on the website. It is the cliff-hanger I have been waiting to hear completed.
Niiiiiice!
Could listen to another repeat podcast of each guest on their own. Also, if it is possible to interview Don Wildman, I would love to hear it. And Tara Brach, if there’s a chance. Have been listening to her training consistently since you mentioned her on your podcast awhile back. Autobots…roll out.
I learned more about marriage and parenting from 20 minutes of this episode than an hour listening to the Killing Sacred Cows relationship one.
Hi Tim; Many years ago David Byrne put out a few CD’s of Brazilian classics.
Check out Beleza Tropical: Brazil Classics 1 if you can find it. If not, let me know, I’ll send you a copy. There’s 1,2, & 3, each its’ own style of music. Very interesting stuff…
Great post and I’m loving the 5 bullet Friday!
BTW ordered the MEUNDIES I’m a 34″ waist m/l too. Purchased a L and XL. Large was too snug XL perfect. Went online to see about return MEUNDIES immediately credited my cc the purchase price. When I said I just wanted to exchange for XL the company said I could keep the credit, the L undies and it would send me complimentary XLs. Talk about customer satisfaction!
Hi Tim, female listener (attorney, mom, wife) and I love all the podcasts, but I felt like this one was distinctive in that you really allowed Gabby Reece to speak to the female perspective on several issues. Her words were amazing. Thank you for allowing your listeners to be exposed to such “world class” individuals.
Amanda
Absolutely agreed. I loved what she said about ‘not fixing the man you’re with’, as I’ve been in the situation where a former partner was ‘fixing’ me. It ended up with us ending the relationship (and causing some subsequent upgrades in my life, interestingly enough.. by following some of her suggestions)… I did love Gabrielle’s words. Very powerful.
And the subtle “Don’t mother me” from Laird.
“If you want to be with a king you have to treat them like a king, and if you’re always like ‘duh duh duh change that’, they’re a pile in the corner” – Gabrielle Reece
So spot on.
Loved the episode. Really curious about the pool (any pictures?).
But man I got to tell that each time you talk about your tv show I die a little inside.
I live in Portugal and there seems do be no “legal” way to buy it.
Can’t I just pay you double and you send me a USB drive or something ? 😀
I love your podcast Tim! This one is one of my favorites but was wondering why you didn’t list the Bible in the show notes and that was Laird’s first and seemingly most important book mention? Also loved the Glenn Beck episode. Thanks
I have an autoimmune inflamatory condition and take regular tnf blockers (biologics)
Im aware tgat you dont offer medical advice but I was wondering if in all your experiments you managed to come across any natural antiflammatories that you could recommend. Or something that corrects the immune function into not attacking body joints.
Great thanks! Keep the amazing content coming:) Cisse
Hey Tim,
This episode left me feeling changed as a person had it so much impact.
The interview hijacked my state of mind more than any other: the enthusiasm and principles of Laird and Gabby, particularly in respect of longevity and just having fun in life (other favourites being Ryan Holiday, Glenn Beck, Kevin Kelly).
Just wanted to say thanks again from a SF surfer who has read all you wrote, and listened to all you got! See you in the water…
P.S. key takeaways:
– Gabby’s “go first”: wow.
– Laird’s bring units of energy to your group (and I’ll be running away from those who, every time, do the opposite!).
Love this podcast. I am 57 and still riding motocross. Don’t let age get you down. The breathing thing is key too. I thought I was one of the few people into it.
Breathing came up quite a bit in the podcast as something critical for good health and peak performance. Is there a resource for the breathing methods that Wim Hof practices that Brian mentioned?
Since Rick Rubin mentioned Laird, I’ve become quiet obsessive with his way of thinking about performance and life in general and a few weeks later you have him on the podcast – thank you for being so awesome!
1. I would like to know more about Laird’s & CO’s behavior with their smartphone and the internet. I’ve got the feeling that a lot of my time is getting absorbed from the web.
2. I also would like to know more about evening routines.
Greetings from Germany,
Simon
One of my favorites! really enjoyed Laird and Gabby talking about parenting and their relationship! Very helpful.
Also thank you for sharing your set up. The audio sounds great,
Purchased “Way of the peaceful warrior” only a few chapters in and it has changed my mindset already.
Laird mentioned that he read the Bible as an important book and it was not mentioned in the show notes? Just curious why it was left out? I always look for books mentioned during each episodes.
Keep up the good work really enjoy and look forward to the show every week!
Hey, I want to share with a deaf friend. Does anyone know how to turn the podcasts in to transcripts? recommendation for dictation software that I can play the audio in to?
thanks in advance!
One of my favorites of your interviews Tim – particularly the relationship talk bet Laird and Gabby…really interesting and helpful. She’s so wise. Plus, Laird, what a stud…geez.
Tim,
Loved the interview very inspiring for a 50 year old guy. I usually don’t comment on anything but you left one of the most published book in history out of your show notes that Laird mentioned The Bible which is the best self improvement books known to man and the basis of many self help authors.
Thanks for passing on the knowledge the podcasts are awesome
Dan
I was really happy to discover how amazing Gabby Reece is from this podcast. I loved her frank talk about a lot of things. She could have a talk show or something. This was a great episode!
Hello! Just wanted to thank you about this, Tim I read the 4hww about 5 or 6 years ago, and it completely change my life and business for good and forever (software), since I read that book it got me thinking and acting in the right direction, it helped me turned around my life, then the 4hbody helped me and my wife get healthier. Now every podcast helps us stay in the right mind frame, is very common you pick a mind blowing guest and subject, we learn, we evolve, and I love how they make me think. Now you interviewed Laird and Gaby!! who have inspired me for a lot of years. You have won a grateful and fateful fan here.
From Venezuela, and Colombia, soon Peru… Thank you man, keep it up!
Well said Poolebu. I really appreciate that Tim is his own oxymoron. A techie stoic. Not that they are misaligned per se, but… The good news is that he is sharing his amazing curiosity and ability to charismatically relate to people with the world.
Thank you so much (Iron) Tim Ferriss! You are a modern day Robin Hood of knowledge wealth. And Time, I think that you’ve found the synergy of electronic mediums for your message. 😉
Favorite interview to date! Your podcast is literally changing my outlook on life…
I would like to know more info on the underwater training… is there a link to any training information…how to videos, etc.?
Oh and he mentioned the Bible.. do you have a link to that… where can I get one of those??!!
Great Job again…
Darrin Johnson
I think Brian MacKenzie talked about a book about breathing and Laird seemed to know about it also. Does anyone remember what book or author it was? The theme had something to do with nose breathing.
A quick amateur thought on social theory, following Gabrielle’s advice near the end, to “always be first”. In a recent discussion with a friend, we were trying to figure out how to use social cues to develop his business into a more effective and comfortable place to work. Social Proof tells us that we are greatly motivated by witnessing the actions of those around us, especially our peers and heroes. And social traits (such as good/bad behaviours) are contagious within our networks.
So it follows that some of us need to act first, to lead by example, in order to trigger a cascade of good influence on our friends, colleagues, etc. Having the guts to make the first move can be a lonely, scary experience but it might be smart move.
Hello Tim,
There was some mention about breathing training near the end of the show. Any links?
Great show!
Many Thanks. Go First.
There was a very brief mention of “sun gazing” (?) in relation to vision issues from spending so much time staring at screens. Curious for more info, as very aware of potential eye issues related to working at a computer.
I find it interesting that you do not put the Bible, which Laird recommended, in the selected links section. Is this because of your personal views? Thanks in advance for a reply…
The video clip is amazing thank you Tim! What was stated about Laird putting his hand in the water is very, very important. It wasn’t stressed enough just how innovative that was. If he didn’t put his hand in the water to create opposing balance and keep his board level, he would have died. But as they said – he didn’t practice. He didn’t know. No one had ever needed to do it that way before. It happened spontaneously. His body just knew what to do. There was an intelligence that prompted him to do that – all with only a window of a second or so. That’s truly a peak experience. Thats the kind of performance mindset we want to be in
PS They didn’t mention the 100 year storm that happens at Bells Beach Australia, where Bodhi goes and Special Agent Utah tracks him. Where people speak with new zealand accents. That wave is bigger than anywhere, man.
Thank you Tim from Byron Bay Australia
This interview is phenomenal. Laird and his wife Gabrielle are humble, intelligent and loving. My perception of Laird was that he would just go headlong into dangerous waves. He is far too in love with life to do that. I was impressed with his step by step process of experimentation and his emphasis of the importance of training so that your body can do other things when you are done with your training. I loved the humble and liberating idea that anything worth doing will require some failure. Gabrielle mentioned being the first to say hello and the first to smile. This is something I wished I was told when I was 18. Doing this changes all first encounters and sets a positive tone with not only strangers, but coworkers, family and friends. Thank you Tim Ferriss for your podcasts. They wake up my brain and give me actionable tasks that are a blast to implement. There is so much here that I am going to listen to this again.
I really enjoyed this podcast, as I do almost all of them! Listening to their marriage and relationship advice was profound and I loved the way they built eachother up. Another podcast with an emphasis on relationships would be well received. I’m also wondering how you receive business awareness? I am founder of Osso Good, Ridiculously Good Sippable Bone Broths in Marin and would love for you to sample them in exchange for an honest review. Are you interested?
Any chance we can get the recipe to Laird’s potent yellow energy elixir?
Tim–favorite podcast to date. It was fascinating to hear the inner workings of the life of Laird and Gabby. Did you have a childhood hero? Gabby was mine. I had a Nike Poster of her hanging on my wall next to Agassi growing up akin to my guy friends and their posters of Jordan and Favre. Playing Division I volleyball was my dream and at a quite undersized 5’8” I accomplished that goal to become an all-american. I admired Gabby’s intensity and dedication to the sport growing up and continue to look up to her as an adult as she describes life as ” a strong woman married to an ‘alpha’ male”. Listening to Laird and Gabby share about their relentless pursuit of what they want out of life is incredible. Thank you for highlighting how Laird has pursued things like tow in and SUP for his own satisfaction–no other reason. Some people have dream dinner guests….I have dream workouts and your session with Laird and Gabby would have to be in my Top 5. Thanks again! Cheers–MM
Keep coming back to this episode. Wisdom and experience here by the sackful. One question that is bugging me-Gabby talked about the difference between doing her Extreme TV stunts ‘there’s an element of we will just see how this goes’ and then the very different process of preparing for a volleyball match into which she has so much time and energy invested. Also she mentioned this experience of ‘learning how to win, and that its ok to win.’ I’m curious if you can bring this up with more of your interviewees Tim-the difference between being able to do something and being able to do something when it matters most. I’m a classical musician and spend my life working through these questions of ‘practice room great’ and ‘Live TV broadcast for a million people great’. Having spent 25 years practicing my instrument (and teaching others to do the same) I still find the two ‘stages’ of performance (practice room and stage) to be very different matters of skill, psychology, effort, relaxation and focus. Would love to hear you dig into this with guests who spend large amounts of time training for limited moments of ‘performance’.
Tim, Your podcast continue to amaze me. Your ability to tap people like Gabrielle, Laird & Brian who are so much more than world class athletes, their world class Human Beings. All three of them have clearly developed their personal lives as much as their sport.
Excellent!!!
Dan
Great episode. What an amazing group.
I am listening to this a few months after it was released, so this could explain it, but”
http://gabbyreece.com/ URL does not work for me.
http://www.gabriellereece.com/ does
Have you done a series or considered doing one on riding a show jumping horse?
Can’t seem to find a reliable reference for liquid pepper extract which Laird used in his post work drink. Would It be possible to get link to this topic…searching for it has proved to be frustration, weather on the net or trips to suppliers, trader joes, whole foods and the vitimi Shoppe.
What is the elixir recipe? And I want more on exercising in water! Yes, want to try it at home.
Love this interview. Many of the things that Gabby shared really resonated with me. She is a strong independent women that has figured out how to be an amazing leader in a family structure. Loved the dynamic between her and Laird. Very refreshing to hear from a couple that really seem to “fit” together.
Loved the following:
“Don’t mother your partner” with a very concrete example
“Love all of your partner” and don’t try to change them with concrete examples
“If you are going to be with a king, you have to treat them like a king”
“A lonely place is an unmotivated place”
And, I also loved the “Go First” philosophy.
Amazing. So glad I took the time to listen to this one. Thank you for the great interview.
Excellent blog and podcast. So very few people in the world understand the effort that goes into surfing waves of the size.
I always try to remember that one cubic meter of water weighs 1000 kg, imagine that being dropped on your head from the height of 6 m
Also support the idea of you interviewing Kelly Slater.
Tim is your mate in the checkered shirt at the cocktail party scene in “The Dating Game” episode still single? haha