The Bethany Hamilton Story Gets the Hollywood Treatment

Author: Tracks Magazine

The bravest surfer in the world isn’t Laird Hamilton; it’s Bethany Hamilton. On October 31, 2003 the 13-year-old aspiring professional surfer had her left arm bitten off by a fifteen-foot tiger shark while surfing a place called Tunnels Beach on Kauai, Hawaii. Despite losing 60 percent of her blood Bethany survived thanks to the quick thinking of her friend Alana Blanchard and family. Less than a month after the incident Bethany was back in the water, battling away on a larger board. Paddling speed was a major problem so Bethany (under the guidance of her father and brothers and an unwavering Christian faith) focused on kicking her legs to make up for the missing arm. She was back on a regulation sized competition board soon enough and won a National title on such a board in 2005 – the only modification being a handle positioned just in front of her chest on the board for duck diving. If you’ve ever tried to paddle for a wave with just one arm you know how amazing Bethany’s success is.

I’ve witnessed Bethany’s bravery first hand. While scratching for the horizon on a solid and crowded Pipeline line-up on the North Shore of Hawaii in 2009 I noticed that a fellow foot solider paddling next to me was one Bethany Hamilton. Witnessing her kick her and one arm paddle her way to safety was nothing short of inspirational. Here I was feeling the fear with two good arms and she’s quietly going about it with one. Her duck diving technique was perfect.

Bethany’s bravery certainly hasn’t gone unnoticed. She’s been on the talk show circuit in American and had a documentary made about her life.

When your story is as compelling as Bethany’s it’s only a matter of time before Hollywood comes knocking.

Soul Surfer is a full length feature film starring Dennis Quaid and Helen Hunt as Bethany’s parents and Anna Sophia Robb as Beth. It’s hard not to cringe at thought of another corny misrepresentation of surfing being splashed across the big screen but apparently this flick ain’t half bad.

We’ll see. Check the trailer to Soul Surfer below and be your own judge.

We’ve also included Bethany’s documentary. Heart of a Soul Surfer: The Bethany Hamilton documentary TRAILER

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The Bethany Hamilton Story Gets the Hollywood Treatment