You know, I was put in the ocean before I could walk. I do vividly remember like one of my surf contests when I was like five years old, I think it was, and just remember like the water being so blue and pretty. Once I got older, I got started surfing more serious waves. So I started going up to the deep water waves where you can't stand on the bottom, and you know there are bigger fishes out there.
I am known as a professional surfer. I lost my arm when I was thirteen years old, and I continued surfing after that, and so I'm like one of those rare humans that surfs with one arm, and I just love what I get to do. You know, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. So that's kind of me in a nutshell.
You're listening to Bethany Hamilton, an amazing pro surfer who has won tons of compet titians all over the world. She's the star of very inspirational movies like Soul Surfer and Bethany Hamilton Unstoppable, and today she's chatting with us on Growing Up. Welcome to Growing Up, the Lingo Kids podcast that encourages kids to dream big and discover who they want to be.
We're on the coasts of Peru, a country in South America, right in front of the Pacific Ocean, and here waves can get big, very very big.
Look at dad, Maxie. Those ways are kind of scary, aren't they. No worries they won't reach us. It's just a movie. Here, have some popcorn, but don't tell mom about it, Okay, good boy.
Just off the coasts of Peru, some fishermen go out to catch fish, but they don't do it alone. They ride on special boats called kabahitos, which means little horses.
Ah cool name. I bet it's because they're riding the boats like if there were horses. Get it, Maxi.
And this right here is one of the oldest kinds of surfing in the whole white world.
Surfing, No way, surfing is like skateboarding, but in the water, Maxi. I's not only people in Hawaii surfed. You know, Hawaii is an island and they have so many waves over there. I love that at school.
Oh yes, far far away in the Pacific Ocean on the island of Hawaii. Surfing has also been popped for centuries only. Instead of kabaitos, the ancient people of Hawaii used to make surfboards.
Look, MAXI the surfboard is that wooden table that man standing on. Yeah, I'd paint my surf for Neon Green two.
For ancient Hawaiians, surfing wasn't just something they did for fun. It was how they felt close to the ocean, which was sacred for their culture.
So cool.
Today, surfing is popular in many countries around the world. Some people even allow their dogs to surf, and let me say they do it pretty well.
You're right, Maxie, you've never been to the beach before. You'll have so much fun. I love building sand castles, splashing in the water and swimming. Oh this time we can try surfing.
But remember, if you want to try surfing yourself, first seek help from a grown up coach or a pro surfer. Gotcha, Now go catch some waves.
Okay day is officially on.
Hi Louise.
Enjoying the Go Forward movie theater.
Yes, Emily, quick question, do you know anything about surfing? Mmm?
I know it's super fun and I know that waves can be very challenging to ride too.
Yeah, I just watched this movie about the history of surfing. Now I want to go to the beach. So Maxie and I can surf. Problem is, well, we've never surfed before. Can you help us out please?
Well, lucky for you, I know a real surfing expert.
You mean, like someone who has an actual surfboard, more.
Like someone who's inspired millions with her surfing. Her name is Bethany Hamilton. She has won tons of surfing competitions and she's been surfing since she was a little kid, kid like me. That's right. Why don't we go meet her?
Of course I want to meet a super duper surfer rock star. Okay, Massey, this is big. We're talking actual surf advice from an actual surfing person. Of course, I'll ask Bethany about surfing dogs too.
Let's go then, welcome to our very own talking game show. Today, we are speaking to the one and only Bethany Hamilton. Bethany is a lifelong pro surfer and she's also behind Beautifully Flawed Foundation, and together they help people who lost arms or legs live happier lives.
Hi, Bethany, Aloha, Bethany Aloha.
I'm Bethany Hamilton, Derek's I am known as a professional surfer. I lost my arm when I was thirteen years old. And I continued surfing after that, and so I'm like one of those rare humans that surfs with one arm and I just love what I get to do.
You are a rare human being indeed, who started surfing when you were a baby, right.
I was born and raised in Kauai, Hawaii, and I still live there, So I pretty much grew up on the beach as my playground, the ocean as my playground. Both my mom and dad surfed, and same with my older brothers too, so we were just a surfing family.
You know.
I was put in the ocean before I could walk, and by the time I was like eight or nine, that's when I really like started catching my own waves and gaining more confidence in the ocean and just having a lot of fun out there.
What a fun childhood.
Yeah, do you remember the first wave you ever served? Bitsany?
I do vividly remember like one of my surf contests when I was like five years old, I think it was, and just remember like the water being so blue and pretty, and there's these funny moves you can do on a surfboard, like they call it a dying cockroach.
Dying cockroach, Maxie, please don't eat one, please.
I wouldn't recommend it either anyway. What's the dying cockroach move?
Like, Bethany, So you lay down on the surfboard on your back, and then you put your legs in the arm and like kick them up and down and look like a little cockroach on your back. And then another thing you could do is like you're on the board and you do a spinner, so you spin in a circle and then you land back on your feet.
They sound so much fun. I want to try them. Wait, but Bethany, the ocean is so full of sea animals and see things, and it's just so much sea. Weren't you scared of it as a kid.
When I was little, I was surfing in really shallow water, so if I fell off my surfboard, I could stand right up. It wasn't like I was going out into the deep blue, and I wasn't worried about sharks or fishes or anything like that because the environment that my parents brought me to is super inviting. Once I got older, I got started surfing more serious way, So I started going out to the deep water waves where you can't stand on the bottom, and you know there are bigger fishes out there.
And around that time is when you had your accident.
Right, Every surfer thinks about sharks at one point or another, but you never think it's gonna actually happen to you. But I'm one of those rare humans that it happened to you.
You're a super strong surfer. Like, how did you even keep surfing after the shark attack?
You know?
And when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. So that's kind of me in a nutshell.
Oh lemons, aren't they sour?
Oh yeah, Louise, lemons can be sour. But what Bethany means is that when tricky stuff happens, it's like getting sour lemons, right, But if you squeeze lemons and then add a bit of sugar, you get a delicious drink like lemonade. The same thing is in life, when life gets tricky, you can get something good out of a bad situation.
Oh, I get it. I'll remember it. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. There you go.
That's such a valuable lesson, don't you think. Yeah, And of course you got back to surfing even after this horrific accident. How was it to go back in the ocean.
Oh my goodness. Well, honestly, the first session I had after I lost my arm was probably one of the most memorable days I've ever had in the ocean. You know. I had a lot of fear, thinking like I might not be able to surf with one arm, and so I went out there just willing to try, willing to put myself out there, willing to do something really hard. And the first few tries I fell and fumbled off the board and it felt hard and scary.
Wow, that sounds really hard. What or who helped you believe you could do it.
My dad was there and he's like, hey, now that you have one arm, you got to do things a little different. And so next wave, I put my hand in the center of the board, whereas normally you put both hands on the side rails, and it was just a small little wave, and I popped up and rode that wave all the way to the beach and just had the best tears of joy and like a feeling of accomplishment, like Wow, I just did it, Like I
just surfed with one arm. And then from then on it was like there's no turning back, like let's go, We're doing this. It just felt kind of healing and like I didn't have to lose my greatest passion or love.
You're a true example of courage and believing in yourself, Bethany. And after all that hard work, you became an actual pro surfer in competitions? What does it take to be a pro surfer?
So when I was younger, when I was about nine years old, I joined my local team and they offered a surf coach to coach us once a week, and so we'd go and run heats, like pretend like we're surfing in a competition with each other, and our coach would judge us and give us feedback and give us tips on how we can, you know, get better at our sport. My parents would also film me out there, film me surfing with a camcorder, and so I would
go home and watch the footage after. I'm so grateful my parents would do that.
Hey, my dad does that too. He records me all the time.
I bet he says things like you'll love this when you're older.
Yeah, just like that. Wait, how did you know, Emily.
I'm a mom too. I do the same with my kids.
Cool, So recording all the time to be a pro surfer check what else do we need to do to be pros Bethany.
There's little details like figuring out your surfboards.
Really, why are surfboards so important?
Some surfboards work better than other surfboards. So sometimes I would only ride a surfboard three times and then I would either sell it or give it back to the shaper. And then even the type of fins you put on your surfboard, so that's on the bottom of the board, and that's what helps you turn the surfboard. And there's different types of fins you can use.
Okay, No, dude, a cool night like me has to ride a nice surfboard.
Yeah, sometimes I would color on them, or I'd let my friends who are really good artists color them. I've even let my children now that I'm older and have children, and it's always sad because at some point or another they get old and kind of die or the waves break them, and you're like, no, don't die on me surfboard, and so yeah, you definitely have to take good care of them.
I can't imagine how many waves you've ridden with your surfboards, Bethany.
Yeah, do you dream of riding like the super duper perfect wave. Bethany.
Well, there's there's one wave and this will probably surprise a lot of you that it's in Namibia, Africa. There's an incredible wave there that I've been dreaming of surfing
for like ten years. But it's such a far journey, and the wave is also very rare, like, it doesn't always work, it's not always breaking, it's not always good, and when it's good, it's like a ten out of a ten, and you can get what is called a barrel where the wave breaks over top of your head but you stay inside of the wave and it's like you're in a little tunnel cave and it's the coolest feeling ever. There's this barrel that you can have for like twenty seconds.
Oh I bet those twenty seconds feel like forever.
It does. It truly does feel like an eternity, Bethany.
Do you have any tips to learn how to surf for people who don't live near the ocean.
The first big challenge you have in the ocean is just being able to catch the waves. It looks so easy, but it's actually really hard, and it's kind of like learning to read. First you learn your letters and then you learn little words, and then you learn big words, and then you read big books. So if you don't live near the ocean, first learning how to swim super strong, like kind of try to be an Olympic swimmer, so to say, like swim one hundred laps or something like that.
Maybe fifty will be sufficient.
Okay, swimming one million laps to become a pro surfer.
Check.
Another tip I would say is if you can learn how to skateboard, so a lot of skateboarders will get really good at surfing, and so everybody can access skateboarding. You can buy a skateboard and learn how. I recommend wearing the pads because when you fall in the ocean it doesn't hurt so bad, but when you fall on cement there can hurt really bad.
Noted wearing pads when skateboarding so it doesn't hurt. Check.
You got a good list of tips there, Louise Bethany, thank you for this wonderful and inspiring chat. Louise, what did you learn from today's interview?
Wow, Emily, I can't believe anyone in the world can serf. If you want to be super good at surfing, you have to practice swimming a lot. You also have to have a good surfboard for you. And if you're far from the ocean, you can try skating to practice. Oh and the biggest best ways don't come all the time, but if you keep trying and practicing, you'll catch the most awesome wave ever.
That's on point, Louise.
Maxie, we can go to the beach right after our game show.
Okay, I think we can actually play it on the beach, Louise, really, where are we going? We're going to the beach. Bethany, you want to join us?
Cool, that's my favorite place in the world. Let's do it.
Let's go, Maxie. We have some waves to catch, all right.
Everyone, welcome to our very special well surf Trivia.
At the beach.
We've got the legendary Bethany Hamilton with us and we're testing her surfing knowledge today.
Maxie definitely looks ready, Maxy, don't bury your leash in the sand.
All right, here's the first question, Bethany. Back in nineteen fifty nine, there was a brave fifteen year old girl surfing the super scary why Mia Bay in Hawaii. She was the first woman to do it. What was her name? Was it a Sally surfboard, B Linda Benson or C wavy.
Windy Linda Benson. That's correct.
Linda Benson also became the first woman to be on the cover of a surf magazine. Go Linda, do you know much about her?
Actually, my surf history is not too good, but I'm glad I got that one right.
Awesome?
Okay, next question, Which of the following are types of waves surfers ride? A point breaks, b reef breaks or C beach breaks, all of the above.
I literally I surf all of those all the time. So I love reef breakes because the reefrekes are more predictable, and so you can kind of make a map out there, and you can know your map and position yourself really accurately, so it's really a lot easier to catch the waves.
Emily Maxie wants me to ask the last question.
Okay, go ahead, Louise.
All right, here I go. There was a rescue dog named Abby Girl, and she became the dog that surfed the longest wave ever in twenty eleven. What kind of dog was she was? She A an Australian kelpie, B a German Shepherd, or C a labrador.
Ooh, I'm gonna go with see a labrador.
It was actually a an Australian kelpie. Oh have you heard about Abby Girl before? No?
I haven't, but I have seen a lot of surfing dogs. But I love like seeing surfing animals. There's even a surfing pig out here in Hawaii I have seen over the years.
Oh. Now I want to go to Hawaii just to surf with a surfing pig. Emily.
That'll be so much fun. And I hope you had fun with our game show, Bethany. Great job with all those questions.
Yeah, thanks for playing with us today, Bethany. See ya.
Yeah, of course, my pleasure.
Now I think Maxie is ready to hit the water.
All right, MAXI, I got the surfboard ready. You want to ride some waves? I'll go first.
Chout, Louise. Maxie looks more ready than you are.
I've got this. You're are good?
Oh Louise, are you okay?
That we've came out of nowhere?
Emily, Now it's Maxie's turn.
Looks like Maxi's a water dog.
Oh good night, never gives up. I'm gonna be a surf master. Just watch.
Oh good job, Maxie.
I have to stay on this board for more than two seconds.
Don't worry, Louise, We've got plenty of time. Thanks for tagging along on this episode of Growing up all about surfers. Remember little listener, dream big, and always stay curious. Louise, Are you ready for more adventure?
Wait? There's more?
Yeah, there is loads more to explore on the world's number one kids learning app, Lingo Kids. It has ton to videos, games and podcasts just like this one, and every single one is fun and educational. Download the Lingo Kids app today for free.
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