Every sport has them: the "untouchables"; men who baffle the mind with death defying acts, taking thier sport to a level that can be grasped by only a select few. Men who search for the most extreme and deadly forces Mother Nature has to offer. David Kalama is one of these men. Whether he's longboarding, shortboarding, tandem surfing, canoe surfing, tow surfing, or defending his countless wind surfing titles, he blows minds. But no aspect of his talents are as awe striking as his courageous attack on Pe'ahi, conquering what most are calling the biggest and most powerful waves ever ridden. He knows well the effects the winds, currents, and tides have on this unforgiving battlefield. He must because his life and the lives of his team are at stake. Dave's a big and solid man and his features display his Hawaiian heritage in his tan skin and powerful aura. He's a family man with a beautiful baby girl, Sunny, and wife, Oriana, that he loves with all his heart. He's a hard working provider who built two homes on the land that he and Brett Lickle own together. Everyone has seen what he can do through the pictures of Pe'ahi, but what thoughts dwell deep in the mind of this innovative extremist as he flirts with danger?
It seems like you take every sport you're involved in and push it to the limits, often expanding the boundaries even further. What motivates you to do what you do?
You have to be willing to experiment and try anything. I approach everything new as something to have fun with. Many times it's just as much fun to take a good fall as it is to make a good hit off the lip. In my opinion, if you're not falling you're not pushing it - and if you enjoy the wipeouts as much as the successes then you're bound to have more success and in turn more fun. So every time I do something, I just go out and enjoy myself and don't put my expectations too high and it allows for a successful progression.
Most people will never know what it's like to ride a wave like Pe'ahi. How would you describe the feeling?
As far as I am concerned anything over twenty feet is basically all the same - it's all huge. Once it reaches that realm, it is a very instinctive and subconscious experience. You know that it's the real thing - life or death. It sits in the back of your mind and you try to shelve it and not dwell on it. Everything happens so fast that you can't deal with it on a conscious level and your mind isn't capable of making decisions that quickly. Surfing then becomes a natural instinct, all that you've been through, all that you've learned, all your decisions are made by your subconscious mind. It's a wonderful feeling to let your conscious mind go and to let all of who you are come out instinctively. You enjoy life, knowing that death is potentially imminent. It's strange that the closer you are to death, the more alive you feel. It's a very addictive feeling. It's a very pure and life giving feeling.
With all that's happening around you, what keeps you stoked on surfing?
I'm stoked on the fact that my surfing is very diversified, it keeps me young. The fact that I can go surfing with my father keeps me stoked. He was the 1962 U.S. Surfing Champion, a fact that I'm very proud of. I share the surfing experience with him almost everyday. My family keeps me stoked, and the fact that I have been fortunate enough to make a living and take care of them by doing what I do. Guys like Greg Noll, Buffalo Keaulana, Rabbit Kekai and Peter Cole, to see what they have done and are still doing, pioneers who have broken ground and pushed the limits. The older generations are an inspiration to me, they help the younger generations enjoy all that surfing has to offer. Being able to work closely with Brian Keaulana over the past year, you can't help but learn things being around him. I hope that someday I have the opportunity to give back even a quarter of what surfing has given to me, and share all the happiness that surfing has brought into my life.
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