Greg Long

“I’ve had this idea with fear that I wanted to embrace and grow from it instead of run the other direction."

If you judged Greg Long by the waves he rides, you’d be wrong. Spend time with the man and you’ll understand that he isn’t a crazed adrenaline junkie or motivated by the fame that comes with being the most decorated big wave surfer in history. Greg is articulate and thoughtful about what he does. He’s big wave surfing’s beat poet, a journeymen following his calling. If it were awards, accolades or money that motivated Greg, he would have quit already. It is his quest to conquer personal limits that defines him.

He’s not only been humbled, but he’s been brought back from the brink of death. At Cortez Banks, Greg made a massive drop, turned toward the shoulder but couldn’t outrun the avalanche of white water bearing down behind him. The hold down lasted four waves. Greg lost consciousness and suffered what’s called a non-fatal drowning. The incidence made Greg question his entire life direction. Four years later, he’s a two-time Big Wave World Champion and more passionate than ever about the pursuit that nearly took his life. Self-motivated and honest to himself beyond measure, Greg Long has found something worth dying for and lives for it.