Lewis Hamilton said on the podcast “Hot Ones” that he had a terrifying surfing experience and felt like he was going to die.
Lewis Hamilton, the esteemed Formula One veteran, disclosed that the Mercedes driver’s near death experience occurred during a terrifying afternoon spent on his surfboard, following numerous high-speed collisions. Speaking on the renowned “Hot Ones” podcast, Hamilton discussed his surfing expedition into the “kill zone” among other things, all the while battling through an increasingly potent curation of chicken wings.
“On pipeline, it was like 20-foot waves, and I was with (American surfer) Kelly Slater,” Hamilton recalled. “You’re crazy; there’s no way you’re going out there,” Kelly says. I basically got sucked into the kill zone when I attempted to paddle in. When I turned around and saw this quartet of waves approaching, I thought, “This is it, this is it.”
“I hurled my board, dove beneath, and grasped the reef.” And behind me, I could hear the wave breaking. My board broke in two and got torn apart. I was obviously out of breath when I came back up, so I descended once more and grabbed the reef. After doing it three times, I almost ran out of breath.”
In the end, Hamilton made it through deadly waves and returned to shore safely. He was out of breath but had gained newfound respect for pro surfers. Hamilton recalled, “And after that I said, ‘Massive props to these surfers,'” before he let out a tired laugh.
Hamilton found surfing to be a revitalizing diversion from the fast-paced Forumula 1 life in the latter part of his career. After taking some of his initial lessons in Abu Dhabi in 2014, Hamilton started the pastime. By 2019, the racing icon was totally engrossed.
Hamilton said to pro surfer Kai Lenny, “The amount of surfing I’ve been watching this year is crazy.” “I watch videos online and browse anything I can find every single day. The best feeling in the world is surfing. Here, I’m really content. You have no idea how much I adore surfing. There’s just no feeling like it when you stand up.”
Despite Hamilton’s terrifying “kill zone” encounter that occurred in 2021 off the coast of Hawaii, the British legend is still pursuing his passion. He was seen surfing the famous Malibu waves in southern California in 2022. A year later, in anticipation of the Australian Grand Prix, he surfed in New South Wales through shark-infested waters. Hamilton notes that he’s “always been comfortable when I’m close to the limit,” which suggests that his Formula One experience has helped him naturally transition into surfing.
Within his domain of comfort, Hamilton presently possesses an astounding array of all-time Formula One records, encompassing victories (103), pole positions (104), and podium finishes (197). He also shares the record for the most Formula One championship titles with German driver Michael Schumacher, having won seven each.
