Big wave surfing is not something to take lightly. It’s just a little different than those chest-high days at your local spot and it takes preparation, both physical and mental. Koa Smith, while known for his big wave exploits, still gets the jitters — especially surfing an outer reef that he hasn’t surfed before. In the video above, he tells the story in classic Koa fashion of a recent day out at North Shore Outer Reefs, a zone not for the faint of heart.
After John John Florence called Koa and asked if he wanted to come along for the ride, Koa was initially a little intimidated. But as the day went on, his comfort levels rose. He realized something that most of us should be more aware of. It’s a common cliché that goes like this: you miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take. And this was Koa’s shot at getting a very, very big barrel. And guess what? He did it.