Near Death Experience: Greg Long
Source: https://sevenseasmedia.org/the-evolution-of-big-wave-surfer-greg-long/
Greg Long was born on May 25, 1983. He is an American surfer from San Clemente, California. Literally raised on the beach by his father Steve, a professional lifeguard. Steve Long made sure to instil in young Greg not only a deep respect for the ocean and its power but a methodical, almost academic approach to understanding its changing conditions, an understanding that would later epitomize Greg’s career as a professional big wave surfer. Greg Long has since become one of the best big wave surfers of all time and is the most decorated surfer in the Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards. Greg's passion for big surf forced him to leave the professional circuit and focus entirely on traveling the world in search of bigger waves. Since then, Greg Long had spent more than 15 years of his life chasing big waves. Finding bigger and better waves was all about the rush, the adrenaline, the achievement and pushed his personal limits.
Source: https://www.mensjournal.com/greg-long-overcame-a-near-drowning-to-win-big-wave-world-title/
In December 2012, on his never-ending quest to ride the greatest wave of his life, something did go horrendously wrong. At a legendary surf spot, Cortes Bank, is an area off the coast of southern California where the waves can climb 30 and 40 feet high, Long found himself held under by a set of mammoths 50-foot waves, an underwater sea mount 90 miles southwest of Los Angeles. Six minutes later, unconscious and just barely alive, he was pulled to safety and given oxygen aboard his support boat. He dropped in a little deep and couldn’t surf back out to escape the breaking whitewash. As the mountain of ocean dragged him under he took one final deep breath.
Source: https://greglongsurf.com/speaking/
Today, Greg has been asked to share his stories on a variety of platforms including National Geographic, The Adventurer's Club in New York, The United Nations General Assembly, as well as to some of the most prestigious corporations in the world, including Tesla, Apple, Adidas, and Corona, to name a few. Greg motivates his audience to perform and strive for the best by sharing his inspirational stories and talking about fear, preparation, adversity, and the significance of protecting the environment.
Source: www.twelfx.com
Who would have imagined that the sea, where Greg spent much of his childhood, would also be the site where he almost lost his life? It seems to serve as a reminder for us to respect the sea and everything else the planet has to offer. Even so, Greg never stopped exploring. He's keen to learn more about the waves and the seas, which he considers to be his "home." In a similar vein, Twelf-X is all about discovery; it explores the beauty and joy of discovering what you want to do and pushes you to the limit.