Over the past few years, Long has experienced a change in the motivation of that chase.
“I was walking down that one road and I put my heart and soul into it. I have had the good fortune of exploring the world, experiencing diverse cultures and having a professional surfing career,” says Long. “If you do anything with that much intensity for so long, the motivation changes. I had to look for something else to inspire me.”
That inspiration is centered around what he considers his first love – the ocean. In what he says was a very conscious decision, he has found the beginnings of what he wants to do with the rest of his life.
“Surfing isn’t the only thing burning inside of me. I’m just as excited about it as always, but the pressure on myself isn’t there anymore,” Long says. “I want to dive deeper into what the oceans do for us on a daily basis and into the overlooked health of our oceans.”
Just to be clear though, Long is nowhere near finished competing on the Big Wave World Tour. After strong podium showings at the Puerto Escondido Challenge and the Pe’ahi (Jaws) Challenge, Long finished the 2016 season in 3rd place overall after the final event, the Nazare Challenge.
Greg Long, who turns 34 this month, is one of the most accomplished big wave surfers in the world and his career now spans over two decades. His titles make for a lengthy list and include multiple XXL Global Big Wave Awards such as Biggest Wave, Ride of the Year and Performer of the Year. He is the only surfer to win all three of the sport’s premier big wave competitions, including “The Eddie” at Waimea Bay and in 2013, he was crowned Big Wave World Tour Champion. He was featured in the movie “Chasing Mavericks” and has appeared on ESPN’s series “Big Wave Hellmen”.
His journey to all those accomplishments has been noted by his humble and thoughtful demeanor. Born and raised in San Clemente, Calif., Long still considers the area home. His father Steve was a professional lifeguard and the lessons of respect for surfing and the ocean began on those beaches.
“The ocean is unpredictable and as much as you know, you can’t go out with 100 percent confidence. The breaks are unique and the swells, winds and tides bring different qualities and characteristics. You want to find a good relationship with one of the breaks,” says Long. “When you fall, there can be immediate life-threatening circumstances. The ocean is going to slap you eventually.”
Long’s “slap” happened in December of 2012 when he was surfing 100 miles offshore at Cortes Bank. Coming down out of a five-story wave, Long was held underwater for four consecutive waves, lost consciousness and was air-lifted out by the Coast Guard. He would return a year later to once again face the waters that almost killed him. It was the beginning of the evolution that has brought Long to his current mindset.
“I am very content with where I am at in my life. The greatest challenges are our best teachers,” Long notes. “The new chapter of my life has included working with organizations to raise ocean awareness, especially to the surfing world. I am growing in ways I haven’t before and these organizations inspire me daily.”
One of the organizations he has aligned with is Parley For The Oceans who galvanize pre-existing organizations to get unique communities to foster ocean awareness. One of their initiatives is to bring in individuals to repurpose or up-cycle marine plastic debris and to develop new materials which can replace current plastic.
“Working with Parley has been very inspirational,” says Long. “As I travel the world becoming aware of problems such as ocean plastics pollution in the Maldives, I am tasked with going back to those places to raise awareness.”
Long is also active with Surfrider Foundation, Sustainable Surf and Save the Waves among others.
Never one to be complacent with his physical training, Long is currently set-up in Maui. He injured his knee last June and through rehab, he was surfing confidently by October. His time in Maui will include training to completely heal the knee and to be surf-ready.
“I cross-train with a lot of cardio, breath-holding, yoga, swimming and core work,” Long says. “I think the mental and physical go hand in hand. One draws on the other.”
In the meantime, he consistently has an eye on the weather monitoring for giant swells that may mark the next surfing competition or adventure. The current monitoring technology allows for 72 hours of forecast ahead of time as to how the waves will be in a specific area. Long is always packed and on standby to depart for one of his surfing sanctuaries.
“When I look at the ocean, I see awe and wonder. For me it brings feelings of returning home, memories I have created and the incredible opportunities and lifestyle that it has presented to me,” says Long. “It is essentially my life. For those generations yet to come, I want them to see it exactly as I did. A beautiful sanctuary.”
