TAKE EVERY WAVE: The Life of Laird Hamilton

Director: Rory Kennedy
Screenwriters: Mark Bailey, Jack Youngelson

Institute History

  • 2017 Sundance Film Festival

Description

“It was the unrideable wave and we rode it.” Rory Kennedy’s TAKE EVERY WAVE captures the remarkable and unconventional life of legendary big wave surfer Laird Hamilton. Sweeping cinematography positions us in the lineup with a master playing the sea.

Laird’s incredible story began in 1960s Hawaii. Finding solace from an abusive home, he rebelled and funneled his energy into big wave Pipeline surfing, awakening a natural talent. More than an athlete with Hollywood good looks, Hamilton proved himself a true innovator, pushing conventions to the extreme and reinventing surfing throughout his career. A pioneer in both tow-in surfing and foil boarding, he distinguished himself from surfing legends of the time who wanted to maintain the purity of the sport.

Mixing evocative, unseen archival footage with intimate access into Laird’s current adventures, distinguished filmmaker Rory Kennedy celebrates Hamilton’s lifelong desire to charge new frontiers and his intense commitment to conquering the next wave at all costs.
— Lauren Cioffi

Screening Details

As you use our Online Archives, please understand that the information presented from Festivals, Labs, and other activities is taken directly from official publications from each year. While this information is limited and doesn't necessarily represent the full list of participants (e.g. actors and crew), it is the list given to us by the main film/play/project contact at the time, based on the space restrictions of our publications. Each entry in the Online Archives is meant as a historical record of a particular film, play, or project at the time of its involvement with Sundance Institute. For this reason, we can only amend an entry if a name is misspelled, or if the entry does not correctly reflect the original publication. If you have questions or comments, please email [email protected]