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Surfing has always been about the adventure.
It's an escape from the norms of society and a way to immerse in raw nature.
The desire to stray farther from civilization's beaten path
is part of our primal essence.
"Out There", is about the experience of surfing.
It's one of the most incredible experiences, ever. To ride a wave out there.
The second best thing, when you're out on the water,
is to be able to look in at the mountain range.
Just take in the beauty.
(radio) "Yea, county crews are doing an emergency response"
"to a very large sewage spill..."
I think that's part of the surfing spirit is the adventure.
When you're out there, at least when you feel like you are..it adds to it.
It just natural progression development, ya know?
They're gonna be looking to build new roads...
...and, ya know, develop back in the hills here.
(Radio) "Tons of toxic waste are illegally dumped into the water"
"by heavy industry that lines its banks."
If the development goes through,
I think it's gonna be a really sad state of affairs here on the North Shore.
I think it'll never be the same.
I love to travel and I love to surf.
And I don't want to get sick surfing in the water here.
(Radio) "The pollution from the nearby mines and factories simply,"
"rises into the air, and then......it stays put."
There's a few different river mouths right around where we're staying that are
...just loaded with trash.
Plastic bottles. Hypodermic needles.
I've never really seen, a place quite like it, for the wildlife and the serenity...
...it's amazing.
Please let's try to keep like this, ya know, sacred.
Well the seven mile miracle, is kind of a phrase, it was coined years ago.
It's a description of this coast,
because we have over 250 waves between Ka'ena Point...
...and Turtle Bay.
North Shore of Oahu is a dense concentration of some of the most diverse
and high performance waves in the world.
In my opinion "The Miracle" goes beyond just the surf...
...but the beauty of this coast line is pretty incredible.
Hawaii is a paradise.
The allure of the tropical landscape...
...pristine beaches...
...and rich Polynesian culture, make it an increasingly popular destination.
The world's getting smaller and smaller by the minute, ya know,
as the population grows...
...and uh, everywhere seems to be under the thread of development.
Hawaii is as desirable a place as ever, if not more so.
And so there's a lot of pressure on the island...
...and on our resources here.
It's kinda natural, you live in such a beautiful place,
that who wouldn't want to live here.....ya know?
So you can't really hold it against anyone for wanting to come here...
...but, there has to be a certain point
where the development slows down a little bit...
...and doesn't have that spiraling, out-of-control feeling.
They want to build hotels, they want to build a four lane highway,
they want to build...
...I don't know, they just want to keep developing out here.
And, I don't know I like it how it is.
The more that we develop, I think,
the more we take away from the beauty of these islands...
...and what people actually come here to see.
The North Shore is pretty much the proving ground for any professional surfer,
any surfer...
...who wants to be anybody in the surfing world.
Definitely still get scared out here at Pipeline, ya know,
but, it's natural, there's a difference...
...between not being scared, and not going out, ya know.
I just surf because it's my backyard and I love to surf it and it's fun,
it's challenging.
Everyday is a challenge at Pipe.
I'm stoked to be like. a part of those guys and like,
just to be out there, and really good ...waves out there.
I like surfing with all the boys, watching them get good waves...
...and everyone's stoked for each other.
It's like a giant family. Everyone knows everyone.
And everyone is kinda watching out for...
...each other. It's like the best feeling ever.
Being out in the water for me, has always been an escape from responsibility
, ya know...
...escape from the normal everyday stresses of life.
And then it's also provided some of the most incredible,
joyous moments of my life.
It's one of the last undeveloped stretches, of undeveloped shoreline property.
So why does it have to be developed?
Why can't we just leave it as it is for future generations?
For most of modern history,
El Salvador has been under almost constant political upheaval.
This beautiful, but impoverished country
has no infrastructure to deal with the immense amounts...
...of war torn rubble and trash that litter the country.
The eastern part of El Salvador, has some of the most ripping...
...right handed point breaks in all of Central America.
Coupled with the tropical waters, and lack of crowds...
...El Salvador has the potential to be a surfer's paradise.
When I first came up to the point,
it was off shore and over head and I first got out there you take off...
...and do as many turns as you want.
And at the end there's always an air section waiting for you.
It was just so cool just being at such a perfect point break.
I think that's the funnest part about surfing.
Is being able to go and live for a short amount of time in a different country.
And be apart of a culture, you know, that we normally wouldn't be able to see.
One of the main issues that El Salvador is facing,
as far as environmental wise...
..a lot of people throw their trash into the rivers and, ya know, I mean all the rivers...
..eventually lead to the Ocean.
There's a few different river mouths right around where we're staying...
...that are just loaded with trash. Plastic bottles, hypodermic needles.
Just crap everywhere.
And uhm, really sad, because the Ocean is so gorgeous here.
On April 19th, the Billabong team successfully educated locals about recycling.
...and cleaned Vaca beach.
Hopefully initiatives like this will inspire a broader movement
to keep our beaches clean.
Big wave surfing requires a commitment to chasing elusive swells.
Sometimes halfway around the world.
Mother Nature calls and I go.
I have no expectations.
Whatever comes...I go chase, and that's what I get.
Mother Nature produces the swells when she wants to produce them.
If you have all these expectations and you're hyping yourself out
and your wanting this...
...and wanting that, and you don't get, you get let down.
So, I just decided to have no expectations and take it as it comes.
Oh my God!
Did he make that?
Yeaaa Garrett!
The Ocean is my church and my playground all in one.
It's just the most beautiful place in the world.
Me and Kaeli'i, we show up and there's nobody around and we just go tow.
We do a lot of traveling around the world,
wherever the storm basically takes us, that's where we go..
And definitely stoked to be apart of this with Garrett.
And that's where all the inspiration and motivation comes from.
Surf, because it's my passion.
Surfing keeps me going. I just love surfing.
The best part, the fun is just finding new waves...
...and surfing them for the first time. That's what really makes me happy.
And ya know, every way that I've surfed,
if I have surfed that spot 100 times...
...every single wave is different, so you're always learning.
Ya know, the Ocean is something that we love
and that we have and that we need to...
...keep it more respectful and precious to us.
Charles Darwin first ventured to the Galapagos Islands in 1835.
He was instantly struck by the magnitude of the nature wonder.
The islands later became the basis for his theory of evolution.
Today these islands remain relatively pristine, yet they are under...
...increasing pressure from human impact.
I think there's a lot of unknown waves and unknown breaks.
Because you need to have permission to...
...surf in different areas of this island.
You can't just get on a boat and motor out to some reef and just surf.
Ya know they're very careful about what happens out here.
Ya know this place is real special.
You just gotta look out for all the seals and the Marine iguanas...
...and the sharks!
But it's really, really nice, it's beautiful. The water is warm, it's clear.
And yea, it's perfect.
It really does blow you away. It's really amazing,
just everything that you see.
From the seals and the creatures are so friendly.
They don't seem to be scared of humans!
The place is beautiful.
For me, going in the ocean is a way of simplifying my life,
and, enjoying the simple pleasures of...
...being here, on this planet.
As far as natural beauty, it's pretty hard to go past here, in the Galapagos.
I've never really seen a place quite like it.
For the wildlife, and the serenity, it's amazing.
And I hope they can conserve this place as much as they can,
because it's beautiful.
Relatively untampered with by man,
the Galapagos are a living representation of a...
..pre-industrial time where the world was still wild and nature still evolving.
Approximately ten years ago,
the state of California proposed the construction of a toll road that would cut through...
...Southern California's last stretch of undeveloped coastline.
This last gem is flanked by two of countries
most concentrated metropolitan areas.
Not only is this habitat home to several endangered species,
but it is also home to some...
...of the best waves in Southern California.
Trestles is pretty much the last remaining beach on the coast
where there's that open land...
...and the waves are good.
You don't get out in the open around here too much.
Especially going surfing anywhere around here.
You walk down, a couple buddies, it feels like you're somewhere else, really.
I mean, it's only five minutes away,
but it feels like you're on the other side of the globe or something.
The water right now is really, I think, one of the best qualities of Trestles.
It stands to get ruined. The world is getting more crowded,
and especially Southern California here...
...and there's only enough space,
so that it's just natural progression of development.
They're gonna be looking to develop new roads
and ya know develop back in the hills here.
With the toll road being built, they're proposing it to be built,
it's gonna really change the whole place...
...and once that road goes in I'm sure all the houses will follow with it...
...and the run off is gonna be a problem.
It all leads out there and, it's obviously a problem
when there's that many people in such a close proximity.
That's where the kids learn,
and they practice at the beach breaks ...
and then they really do it down ...at Trestles.
Because it's this ego wave that you can really work.
There's not many spots like it, and it's gonna be a shame,
because once that thing comes in...
...that's it.
So everyone do as much as you can to save it.
Cause once it's gone, there's gonna be nothing to do.
Although the community has realized several victories,
the State of California continues to push for the approval of the toll road.
From the crowded city life of Southern California,
to the rural countryside of South America...
There are a variety of threats that stand to compromise the health of the ocean
It's neat to come to a place like this...
...like here we are in Chile, in South America.
It's just an incredible place to come.
I mean for people who have never been to Chile before,
it's like probably the best place ever to have a road trip.
In Nueva el dia Pogno is just fifteen miles inland from the Pacific...
...and has the potential to produce approximately one million gallons...
...of poisonous effluvia everyday.
And they're just kinda dumping it into the river that goes right to the Ocean.
Basically going to really impact the environment.
As far as fishing goes, as far as like water quality, and there's a lot of...
...world class surf breaks. So it's a bummer for surfers as well.
I love to travel and I love to surf,
and I don't want to get sick when I'm surfing in the water here.
So, we're testing the water and we're fighting, doing some activism.
Trying to get these guys to clean up their act.
We want to see this area preserved.
In it's natural state, and not torn to shreds...
...by the pulp industry.
Ya know I mean there's a real chance that you won't be able to surf
anywhere near that thing in a couple years.
On October 31st, a massive swell rolled across the pacific,
headed toward a small island in Polynesia.
It's a real paradise, ya know.
When you think of a tropical paradises, this is what I think of.
To me Tahiti reminds you of like
what Hawaii could have been one hundred years ago.
Everything slows down, there's not a lot of people around,
no one's ever stressed out there or rushed or anything.
They're always on their own time.
I actually sleep right on the water here in Tahiti where I was staying,
like right on the water...
...in a little bungalow. Right where the boat ramp is..
...and I could hear the waves slapping
into my wall of my house where I was sleeping
...and like waking me up like every hour.
Waking up in the morning, and seeing waves washing up into the yard.
I mean the yard is like three or four or five feet above sea level,
so you know something was going on.
The backyard was just a huge river firing,
ya know, a gnarly current. I was, I was nervous man.
I didn't know what to expect.
Jamie have you surfed chokes this big?
Nope!
I'm so nervous!
That morning you're like, "I wonder what it's gonna look like"
and sure enough twenty minutes later...
...you're out there sitting on the boat going..
So this is what it looks like.
I describe Teahupo'o as like the benchmark for a barreling wave.
Got no back, every single time,
I mean, you travel all around the world to these big waves...
...and every session you're looking for a barrel.
And at Teahupo'o, all you're doing is trying to get out of it...
...and get through it.
Its like, you don't have to look for it. It's there,
and you can push it as deep as you want to go...
...and change everything.
Surfing Teahupo'o is like whoo!
It's like really scary ovr there at the surf break, ya know, even for a
one foot wave over there, it can send you to the hospital no problem.
You want trouble, it's there.
The big wave I got, I knew I was really deep on it.
I was just waiting to eat it.
It was so intense,
like so much noise in the barrel, like I knew I was on the foam ball.
Yeaa!
Yeaaa!!
You see how far back these guys go on the barrel,
and its just kinda the evolution of surfing...
...I think. Is, these guys are taking it to the next step, every session.
I can't even explain bro, the guys on the foam ball, pulling the close outs,
I think they're dead...
...and they just pop up!
Really trip me out.
They're all lunatics.
It's just a survival game. Every time you let the rope go, it's a rush...
...and if it's a huge wave it's even worse.
You're so scared because you can die any moment. You can get really hurt.
There was no way, I wasn't gonna give it a go, . I wanted it, really bad.
I mean even after the first wipe out, I could have give up.
I mean, the first ride didn't happen, the second ride didn't happen, and...
Yea, I had to go back to the boat and take a rest.
All of a sudden Carlos comes.
Let's go, are we ready?
He is not serious about that.
Well she didn't think twice, she just jumped on the ski,
and she was just ready to go.
I actually had the best wave of my life, right then.
I could have given up, but, you just can't.
You know how much you worked to be there, that day, and to have the chance.
Maya was out there on the biggest day.
And she really raised the bar for Women's surfing.
The tides start to come up, the wind, everything was totally different...
...like a different day.
And these big sets starts coming..
.I saw Ian going on a wave that was just like a banzai Teahupo'o.
Amazing!
I saw the wave actually coming, and Ramana screaming!
"Gooo Ian!!!"
And I was like, "Oh my God!"
"Don't go!"
That was pretty much the wave of my life, hands down.
It's scary. I'm stoked that I made it and I'm stoked Shane got it for me.
That day, to me,
was probably one of the biggest times I've ever seen it in Tahiti.
And I saw some rides that day that were bar none some of the deepest,
and most critical waves I've ever seen ridden.
It's a really good feeling after you successfully ride
one of the best waves of your life out here in Teahupo'o.
You cannot waste a good swell like that, ya know?
How many times have you seen waves like that, in your life?
Tell me?
I can put it on my fingers, ya know?
It's so special.
Has nothing to do with money, ya know, it's all about nature.
It's so powerful.
That's why it's so special.
Please let's try to keep a place like this, ya know... sacred.
And to be in a paradise here, with not too much pollution,
not too much over development,
and I'd like to see it stay this way for a long period of time,
ya know, hopefully forever...
...that this place stays untouched.
How it is, today, as we leave it.
But we need to save these places...
...so everybody can enjoy them.
All our kids, the grandkids, their kids, and on and on.
And if we don't do something about this,
we're gonna be really sorry in the future.
There's not that many waves in the world that are incredible...
...and once it's gone, that's it.
Like my kid's, kid's will never ever get to surf that wave.
It's sad to say, but it's not gonna be here for long,
if we keep going at the pace that we are.
Overlooking what I think is important,
and that is places like this that you can still have...
..and come and get away...
...sit up here and watch the birds, and go see the wildlife that uh,
you won't be able to find...
...too many other places in the world even.
There's certain areas in the world that are very special,
and they offer something that is really, really unique,
and, I think those areas need to be protected and preserved.
People, we all need to stick together and do what is right, you know,
or else we're not gonna have any more surf spots.
Those are surf trucks waiting to be made right in back of us.
We need to recycle.
I'm getting mad now, I want (bleep) done.
Here we are in beautiful El Sal--- (laughs)
I love the fears, ya know, and I'm gonna be scared every time I go out,
on those waves...
...I don't care, I'm a scary guy.
We're out there, let's go.
Haha! I keep saying that, I don't mean to either, it's so weird.
Are you guys going out there?
If you can't find me I'll be out there.