Sidetracked

While Chris Malloy is mostly known for 1.) his surf films and 2.) being the eldest of the surfing Malloy brothers, he’s also an accomplished big wave surfer. While interviewing Malloy for our preview of “Waveriders,” the main attraction of this year’s Surf Nite festivities at the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival, we asked him about big wave surfing — and near-death experiences.

What do you think about the surf in California this winter?

 It might not happen again in our lifetime. At this point you’ve got to just paddle out. Even though you’ve had big perfect waves all winter, you’re almost, like, getting tired of it. But you know that come June all we’re going to do is sit on the beach and talk about the winter of 2010. I got probably the biggest wave of my life this winter.

 You did the Eddie, right?

 I’ve done the Eddie, but I didn’t do it this year. That’s been a little hard for me. I’ve got two kids now, and I don’t just jet set to every swell around the world like I used to. And if you don’t do that, you don’t get on the list. I’ve still got it – I’m still in that zone, but I’ve kind of stepped back to be with my family. But I towed in at Log Cabins the day before the Eddie, and I towed in at Phantoms the day of the Eddie, so I actually got that swell on the North Shore, and it was unbelievably big.

 You have two kids now. Do you ever think, “Well, maybe I shouldn’t go out there today?”

 I’m right in the interim right now where I might not admit that I might. But I might.

 I read somewhere where you talked about the wipeout, saying you’ve just got to have fun with it.

 If you really analyze people that enjoy big waves, they have found a way to go with the energy and really not have a horrific experience every time they wipe out. You couldn’t keep that up if you were having this horrific, scary experience on every wipeout.

There’s guys that are triathlon fit, and they don’t have that sixth sense under water, and it’s really scary for them. I know guys that aren’t even that fit, but they ride 50-foot waves because they know how to go with the water. It sounds kind of corny, but you’ve got to use that energy to your own power. You’re not going to beat the wave. You’re not going to overpower it, so you just go with it. And when you do that, it’s actually a fun ride down there.

 Do you practice holding your breath for long periods of time?

 I do some of that. I do a lot of free diving in the summer, spear fishing. And I do some breath-holding exercises. It’s like running or anything else. Your body goes through three or four different stages when it’s not getting air.  And if you recognize your body going through those different stages, you don’t panic. And you also know when you’re in that danger zone. And if you haven’t pushed yourself a lot in that particular way, you’re disoriented when your hands start going numb or when you’re starting to vomit. And really that scares people, but with those symptoms, you’re still fine. You die most of the time because you panic. 

 It’s good to know that even at the puking part, you’re still safe.

 Yeah, you’ve still got time. I always tell myself — I’ve been in that situation a few times – “Hey, as long as stuff is going out of my body, then that’s ok.” It’s when the water starts getting sucked in that you’re in Stage Four.

 Remember that magician who held his breath in for eight minutes?

 I’ve gotten to where I can hold my breath for four minutes. But when you’re getting beat to hell, and you’re paddling as hard as you can and you’re paddling upside down – if you can hold your breath in those situations for 30 or 40 seconds, that’s real good. I don’t think David Blaine could last ten seconds at Waimea.

 

 Photo (of Chris Malloy, third from left) with brother Keith (far right) and Irish surfers: Waveriders

Posted on March 12th, 2010 by Pat
Filed under: Surf stuff