Mark Visser is a self-proclaimed “international big wave rider and adventure athlete”, and is set to become the new Laird Hamilton.
Mark is not a big wave nobody, this interview gives you a brief and entertaining background to his ‘day job’:
Overlooking flirtatious flattery from female presenters, “you’re quite fit aren’t you”! The fact is this adrenalin fuelled athlete has ridden some of the biggest waves around the world, but do his achievements deserve comparison to the legendary Laird Hamilton?
At the start of the year, Mark took on 30-40ft waves at Jaws, Maui. Not impressed? Well he did it at night! This night surf stunt was claimed as a world first and put the name ‘Mark Visser’ on the map, earning him the nickname ‘Night Rider’.
Mark Visser aka Night Rider
In true Laird Hamilton style, Mark decided to take the limits of wave riding even further. Now I know these adrenalin junkies are the modern day ‘great explorers’, but it’s hard to believe they don’t enjoy the limelight just as much.
What makes me think that? Last month, Mark released his second project for the documentary series ‘Nine Lives’ called ‘Operation Deep Blue’. This time Mark and his team jump out of an aircraft with jet skis and surf boards into the middle of the open ocean, in search of undiscovered big wave locations.
If Mark and his team find the phenomenal waves they’re looking for, they’ll lift the surfing legend bar up again. Until then they have the achievements of man mountain Laird Hamilton to climb and firmly conquer.
More details about Mark’s achievements past and present can be found on the Mark Visser website. But for now here’s a reminder of why Laird Hamilton is still considered by many as the “greatest big wave surfer to have lived”: