A-frame

Aaberg, Denny

Aaberg, Kemp

Abberton, Koby

Abbruzzi, Sid

Abellira, Reno

Abubo, Megan

academia and surfing

Adler, Tom

advertising and surfing

Aeder, Erik

aerial

Aguerre, Fernando

Aichner, Scott

Aikau, Clyde

Aikau, Eddie

Aipa, Ben

air-drop

airbrush

Airshow

Ala Moana

Alabama

alaia board

Alaska

alcohol and surfing

Alexander, Kala

Allen, Chuck

Alms, Paige

aloha shirt

Alter, Hobie

Alvarez, Pepe

Ancell, Kevin

Andaman Islands

Andersen, Lisa

Anderson, Craig

Anderson, Simon

Andino, Kolohe

Angel, Jose

angle

Angola

Angourie

Antarctica

Apocalypse Now

Arabian Sea

Aragon, Janice

Arakawa, Eric

Archbold, Matt

Arena, Eduardo

Ashton, Juan

Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP)

Atlantic Ocean

August, Robert

Aurness, Rolf

Auster, Ken

Australia

Avalon, Frankie

Azores

backdoor

backside

backside attack, Pipeline

backwash

bail out

Bain, Rob

Baja California

Baker, Bernie

Baker, Grant “Twiggy”

Baker, Tim

Bali

Ball, John “Doc”

Ballard, Bill

Ballard, Rochelle

balsa

Baltic Sea

Banks, Jim

Barbados

Barilotti, Steve

Barland, Michel

Barreda, Sergio “Gordo”

Barry, Michael

Bartholomew, Wayne

Baxter, Jackie

Bay of Bengal

Beach Boys, The

Beacham, Debbie

beachboys

beachbreak

Beachcomber Bills Grand Prix

Beachley, Layne

beavertail

Becker, Phil

Bedford-Brown, Stuart

Belgium

Bells Beach

Bendall, Ma and Pa

Bennett, Barry

Benson, Becky

Benson, Linda

Bermuda

Bertlemann, Larry

Beschen, Shane

Beatific amateur champion who, at age 13, lost her left arm to a tiger shark while surfing near her home in Kauai. Hamilton (no relation to Bill or Laird Hamilton) was born (1990) and raised in Kauai, began surfing at age four, and was soon dominating the local amateur circuit. In May 2003 she won the women's division of a state-wide event in Honolulu, beating a field of mostly older competitors, at which point the thin blond goofyfooter was touted as one of the island's hottest young pro tour prospects.

On Halloween morning, 2003, in near-flat conditions at Tunnels, a break on the north shore of Kauai, Hamilton was paddling her red, white, and blue board when a 15-foot tiger shark attacked, took her arm just below the shoulder, and disappeared. Hamilton said she felt no pain and began to paddle for shore with her remaining arm, calling out to best friend and fellow rising star Alana Blanchard that she'd been hit by a shark. On the beach, Blanchard's father used a surf leash as a tourniquet, saving Hamilton's life.

Hamilton's recovery was amazingly fast. She returned to competition fewer than seven months after the attack and placed fifth in the 2004 NSSA nationals in late June. One year later, she returned to the nationals and won.

Hamilton, a devout born-again Christian—notes to fans are signed, "Love in Christ," and her website has links to 

 and Christian Surfers International—meanwhile had a long moment in the media spotlight as she appeared on 

, and MTV, and was the subject of articles in the

Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board

 magazine named her one of the year's "Most Intriguing Surfers." In 2006 Hamilton wrote 

, a book of inspirational prayers. The documentary 

Turning tragedy into opportunity, Hamilton also put her name on a long line of signature products, including shampoo, lip gloss, perfume, body lotion, posters, and a refrigerator magnet replicating her attack-day board, including shark bite.

, a major Hollywood release starring Helen Hunt and Dennis Quaid; the resulting boost in Hamilton's popularity pushed the revised book version of 

 to the top of the New York Times bestseller list. In 2013, Hamilton's announcement that she was engaged to local surfer Adam Dirks made international headlines.

Hamilton, Bethany

Subscribe or Login

Encyclopedia of Surfing

History of Surfing

Interviews

The Sunday Joint

Videos

Encyclopedia of Surfing

History of Surfing

Interviews

The Sunday Joint

Videos