Lane Beachley

I've come so close and I can't do this.

I'm done.

I quit.

I set the goal to win my first world title in five years.

I've now been on tour for seven.

It's never going to happen for me.

And then I went to Hawaii, which is kind of like a

A home away from home for me.

I love Hawaii, but I always felt really lonely in Hawaii because it was a month away from home and I just felt like I had no one to share it with.

And that particular year in 1997, I happened to just have a sliding doors moment with a man who's a renowned big wave surfer, a guy called Ken Bradshaw, looks and acts a lot like Buzz Lightyear.

Yeah.

thinks he can fly around this room with his eyes closed, does have an impressive wingspan and does come in peace.

It's an intergalactical emergency.

But Buzz or Ken saw in me more than I saw in myself.

And we just had this moment where we were surfing together out at sunset and the sun was setting and we happened to just meet on the beach and we just had a

just like a peck on the cheek, kind of kiss to say, hi, it's so good to see you.

And we just felt a spark.

We felt something was there.

And that was the beginning of a love story that also culminated in five consecutive world titles.

I needed someone in my corner.