Lewis Hamilton spends most of his life going very, very fast.
But when the seven-time Formula One world champion gets a break from the cockpit, he’d most definitely rather be slowing things down on a surfboard.
A new clip posted to Instagram shows Hamilton surfing a solid lefthander in Bali, driving off the bottom on his backside, and staying composed through a clean, open face. It’s not world-tour stuff, but it’s legitimate surfing — enough to earn a one-word endorsement from the greatest surfer ever. See the clip, linked here, and below.
“Brah!” Kelly Slater commented.
That’s the modern-day surfing equivalent of a fist bump from Michael Jordan.
Other pros piled on, too.
“That’s the way🔥,” wrote Griffin Colapinto.
Bethany Hamilton added: “I remember that one time you fan girled on me and I had no clue who you were😂🤗 Look at you ripping!!! 🔥🔥🔥”
Related: Lewis Hamilton Shows Off Surfing Skills, Lands Old School Trick (Video)
For Hamilton, though, surfing isn’t some new celebrity hobby. He has been chasing waves for years, including sessions at Slater’s Surf Ranch, Malibu, Byron Bay, and Bali. In a 2022 interview with GQ, Hamilton said what he loves most is the escape:
“You don’t have your phone with you, it’s time on your own,” adding that the ocean feels “very cleansing” and helps him get rid of “negative energy.”
He has also called surfing his “favorite sport,” saying he loves “the ocean, the water, and the power and the movement” of it. Slater once said Hamilton told him that, if he could, he’d quit everything — Formula One included — to become a surfer.
More recently, Hamilton has even shared waves with girlfriend Kim Kardashian. The two surfed together in Malibu earlier this year, and Sky Sports later shared footage of Hamilton hitting the waves while Kardashian cheered him on.
Now, with Slater publicly giving him props, Hamilton’s crossover credentials just got another boost. Keep charging — on the track and in the water — Hamilton.
Related: F1 Racer Lewis Hamilton Claims He Surfed ’25-Foot’ Pipeline with Kelly Slater
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