Dave Kalama
Encyclopedia
Dave Kalama is a big wave surfer, windsurfer, and celebrity watersports enthusiast. Kalama and his family live in Hawaii.
Kalama is credited with the co-development of tow-in surfing, along with Laird Hamilton
, Darrick Doerner
, and Buzzy Kerbox. Recently, Kalama together with close friend Laird Hamilton
have been actively promoting and mastering an ancient Hawaiian mode of water transportation and watersport called "stand-up paddling", and he has begun a series of increasingly longer solo paddle events between various Hawaiian islands. As a high school age athlete, Kalama was a competitive ski racer and high school football player in the winter sports resort town of Mammoth Lakes, California.
Kalama is a descendant from a long line of noteworthy Hawaiian watermen; his grandfather brought outrigger canoe
paddling to the mainland U.S., and his father Ilima Kalama was the 1962 world-champion surfer and a lifelong outrigger canoe paddler.
In July 2006, Kalama and BamMan Productions business partner Laird Hamilton
were jointly awarded the Beacon Award at the Maui Film Festival for "helping to revive the surf film genre."
have been featured in big wave riding films and photographs while riding the largest ocean waves in recorded history. For survival, they surf together and only with other wave riders they absolutely trust (critical life-saving rescues from the tow-in watercraft are commonplace--they take turns piloting the craft-- trust is paramount). Their preference is the tow-in surfing
method (which they co-invented), which affords them the ability to catch the largest (and fastest) of ocean waves; their preferred location is the reef at Pe'ahi (commonly called "Jaws") on the northcentral coast of the Island of Maui (known for holding and breaking the largest waves on the planet); and their preferred riding style is "radical, late take-offs, forceful sweeping drops and turns across the face of 60+ footer waves, exiting over the shoulder of the wave at the end of the ride (to catch a tow ride back outside for another ride, of course)". Their extreme wave rides, chronicled in film and photographs, are daredevil conquests that do not seem possible (or wise!). They have survived near-death experiences in major "wipe-outs" under mountains of falling water.
film Die Another Day
.
In October 2006, Dave Kalama, along with friend and celebrity waterman, Laird Hamilton
, biked and paddled the entire Hawaiian Island chain—more than 450 miles—in a week. The feat was featured on Don King's film A Beautiful Son in support of those afflicted with autism.
Kalama won an award for his role in Riding Giants
.
Kalama is credited with the co-development of tow-in surfing, along with Laird Hamilton
Laird Hamilton
Laird Hamilton is an American big-wave surfer, co-inventor of tow-in surfing, and an occasional fashion and action-sports model. He is married to Gabrielle Reece, a professional volleyball player, television personality, and model...
, Darrick Doerner
Darrick Doerner
Darrick Doerner is a big wave pioneer in the sport of towsurfing. His initials: 'D.D.' not only stand for his name, but for 'Designated Driver'. Darrick uses a personal water craft to travel to large surf breaks offshore. He is also known as simply 'Double D'. Darrick is known as a big wave surfer...
, and Buzzy Kerbox. Recently, Kalama together with close friend Laird Hamilton
Laird Hamilton
Laird Hamilton is an American big-wave surfer, co-inventor of tow-in surfing, and an occasional fashion and action-sports model. He is married to Gabrielle Reece, a professional volleyball player, television personality, and model...
have been actively promoting and mastering an ancient Hawaiian mode of water transportation and watersport called "stand-up paddling", and he has begun a series of increasingly longer solo paddle events between various Hawaiian islands. As a high school age athlete, Kalama was a competitive ski racer and high school football player in the winter sports resort town of Mammoth Lakes, California.
Kalama is a descendant from a long line of noteworthy Hawaiian watermen; his grandfather brought outrigger canoe
Outrigger canoe
The outrigger canoe is a type of canoe featuring one or more lateral support floats known as outriggers, which are fastened to one or both sides of the main hull...
paddling to the mainland U.S., and his father Ilima Kalama was the 1962 world-champion surfer and a lifelong outrigger canoe paddler.
In July 2006, Kalama and BamMan Productions business partner Laird Hamilton
Laird Hamilton
Laird Hamilton is an American big-wave surfer, co-inventor of tow-in surfing, and an occasional fashion and action-sports model. He is married to Gabrielle Reece, a professional volleyball player, television personality, and model...
were jointly awarded the Beacon Award at the Maui Film Festival for "helping to revive the surf film genre."
Kalama and Laird Hamilton
Kalama and fellow celebrity surfing pal Laird HamiltonLaird Hamilton
Laird Hamilton is an American big-wave surfer, co-inventor of tow-in surfing, and an occasional fashion and action-sports model. He is married to Gabrielle Reece, a professional volleyball player, television personality, and model...
have been featured in big wave riding films and photographs while riding the largest ocean waves in recorded history. For survival, they surf together and only with other wave riders they absolutely trust (critical life-saving rescues from the tow-in watercraft are commonplace--they take turns piloting the craft-- trust is paramount). Their preference is the tow-in surfing
Tow-in surfing
Tow-in surfing is a surfing technique which uses artificial assistance to allow the surfer to catch faster moving waves than was traditionally possible when paddling by hand.-History:...
method (which they co-invented), which affords them the ability to catch the largest (and fastest) of ocean waves; their preferred location is the reef at Pe'ahi (commonly called "Jaws") on the northcentral coast of the Island of Maui (known for holding and breaking the largest waves on the planet); and their preferred riding style is "radical, late take-offs, forceful sweeping drops and turns across the face of 60+ footer waves, exiting over the shoulder of the wave at the end of the ride (to catch a tow ride back outside for another ride, of course)". Their extreme wave rides, chronicled in film and photographs, are daredevil conquests that do not seem possible (or wise!). They have survived near-death experiences in major "wipe-outs" under mountains of falling water.
Film Appearances
Kalama appeared in the opening sequence of the James BondJames Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
film Die Another Day
Die Another Day
Die Another Day is the 20th spy film in the James Bond series, and the fourth and last film to star Pierce Brosnan as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond; it is also the last Bond film of the original timeline with the series being rebooted with Casino Royale...
.
In October 2006, Dave Kalama, along with friend and celebrity waterman, Laird Hamilton
Laird Hamilton
Laird Hamilton is an American big-wave surfer, co-inventor of tow-in surfing, and an occasional fashion and action-sports model. He is married to Gabrielle Reece, a professional volleyball player, television personality, and model...
, biked and paddled the entire Hawaiian Island chain—more than 450 miles—in a week. The feat was featured on Don King's film A Beautiful Son in support of those afflicted with autism.
Kalama won an award for his role in Riding Giants
Riding Giants
Riding Giants is a 2004 documentary film directed and narrated by Stacy Peralta, a famous skater/surfer who helped define modern skateboarding. The movie traces the origins of surfing and specifically focuses on the art of big wave riding...
.