TPM Episode 433: Garrett McNamara, Big Wave Surfer
The Powell Movement
Mike Powell
4.8 • 824 Ratings
🗓️ 5 May 2025
⏱️ 45 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Garrett McNamara is a world record-breaking big wave surfer and one of the pioneers of sport. What’s crazy about Garrett’s story is that while he achieved pro surfer status early on, his career didn’t take off until his mid to late 30's when he became infatuated with riding giant waves. And then it exploded to the point where now, at 55, he’s launching his 3rd Season of his “100 Foot Wave” series with HBO. On the podcast, we talk about growing up in cults, Hawaii, being there for the beginning of tow-in surfing, being big in Japan, Northshore (the movie) his HBO series, and much more. It’s another interesting one with a legend.
Garrett McNamara Show Notes:
4:00: Snowboarding, Jerry Lopez, concussions helmets, health at 55, and his HBO Series 100 Foot Wave
15:00: Stanley: The brand that invented the category! Only the best for Powell Movement listeners. Check out Stanley1913.com
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18:00: Growing up in cults, Berkely, moving to Hawaii with nothing, getting good at surfing, weed, Vans Triple Crown
33:00: Elan Skis: Over 75 years of innovation that makes you better.
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35:00: Big in Japan, seeing the first tow in ever, learning the big waves, and towing
38:00: Inappropriate Questions
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Have a seat on your porcelain throne. |
| 0:02.3 | It's time to talk some shit on the Powell Movement. |
| 0:13.3 | Welcome to the Powell Movement. |
| 0:17.1 | I'm your host Mike Powell, and for the past nine nine days I've been in the UW Medical Center with |
| 0:22.8 | Ange and after three surgeries and a procedure, Ange seems to be doing better than she has |
| 0:28.3 | in a while. |
| 0:29.5 | So that's exciting. |
| 0:30.5 | Really, I'm just happy that the pain management is working out better as there's nothing |
| 0:35.0 | worse than seeing a loved one in pain and not being able |
| 0:37.9 | to do anything about it. I hope to have Anne's home in the next five days or so, but you |
| 0:43.0 | never know with cancer and what it does to the body. It seems like every day something |
| 0:47.8 | new comes up, but right now things are stable and I love that. But being that I want to |
| 0:52.8 | be at the hospital as much as I possibly |
| 0:54.5 | can, I'm starting to record from here. I found a hidden room, I got a code from one of the security |
| 0:59.9 | people, and boom, I have my own space to record. The only thing that sucks about this little |
| 1:04.7 | space to record is that I only have one screen with me, which makes it difficult to monitor my |
| 1:09.5 | sound. So in this week's episode with legendary |
| 1:12.7 | big wave surfer, pioneer, and world record holder Garrett McNamara, I have his volume a little hot. |
| 1:19.4 | And while it isn't that bad, I want to let you know and call myself out all at the same time. |
| 1:24.9 | Good thing is, you may not even notice and it doesn't take away from the podcast. |
| 1:29.3 | With this one, I had limited time with Garrett as he was on an HBO press day with a ton |
| 1:34.1 | of different media outlets. |
... |
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