Mark Healey is the antidote to Laird Hamilton's scowling, juiced-up, Zeus-on-high big-wave Superman. Healey has the same revved-up-but-normal-guy vibe Brock Little has—but without the penchant for street-fighting. Like Brock, Healey's the guy you'd choose to sit with on a sunny porch somewhere and casually eliminate a six-pack.

Despite the fact that on any given day he's involved with some activity or another that could, with a tiny bit of back luck, put him in traction or worse, Healey seems to be as well-grounded as they come. Very honest about what he does. Poetic at times—without overdoing it. Big-wave surfing is glorious, but also, in Healey's scheme of things, not the be-all-end-all. He reserves his highest respect for people whose lives extend beyond the narrow confines of wave-riding; who (like Milosky) accept adult-level responsibilities. 

National Geographic photographer Jimmy Chin interviewed Healey last year. Here are some highlights.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?


“We can not solve our problems with the same thinking we used to make them” - Einstein


That’s a hard one because it could look like almost anything. My life revolves around what the oceans of the world are doing and what access I have to different adventures, so there is almost no routine to my life. Almost any day you’re breathing is a good one, it’s just a matter of your perception of it.


The bulk of my conditioning comes from actually doing my pursuits ie surfing, freediving, hunting. Although lately I’ve been getting most of my exercise breaking concrete and digging holes at my house. Nothing beats manual labor!

What’s the most challenging aspect of big wave surfing for you?


The mental edge. There are plenty of people who are in good enough shape, less that have the ocean knowledge, and far fewer that have the balls to execute when they are confronted with a black wall of water when they are paddling with their own two hands. That’s what separates the men from the boys.

What’s the heaviest holddown you’ve ever survived?


I was tow-surfing Jaws back in 2004. To this day it is still the biggest waves I’ve ever seen. It was late in the day and I was tired and cramping already. Ended up taking a digger on a 60-footer and blowing my eardrum. I had no equilibrium and I was held under for a really long time. My PFD (thin floatation vest) ripped in half and I had caught it in my hand as it was being torn off. That little bit of floatation was all I had to bring me to the surface. All I could do was hold on and wait for light. I started losing consciousness and my whole body was locked up in cramps. All the sudden it got bright white and I figured I was on the surface. My world was spinning because of the broken eardrum and I took a quick sip of air and foam before the next wave hit. I ended up taking four waves on the head before I was picked up and lost about ten minutes of memory. Had to puke so bad, but kept swallowing it back down because I didn’t want to look like a pussy.


Overcoming fears, the sense of accomplishment, being on the edge of what is known to be possible, the physicality, but I think the biggest drive is restlessness. I’ve just kinda always had the sense that I’m living on borrowed time.

MARK HEALEY: "I'VE JUST KINDA ALWAYS HAD THE SENSE THAT I'M LIVING ON BORROWED TIME" (2013)

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