How realistic were the portrayals of you mom and dad by Dennis Quaid and Helen Hunt?
They were pretty different but it was kind of cool having like, for example, my dad helped make up this handle on my board to help me duck dive, so it was cool having that scene inputted and Dennis did good with that.
Both my parents are very supportive of my surfing, so it’s cool how they supported me throughout the film. My mom, I don’t know if she was quite the same as Helen in the sense that Helen was more reserved as far as me going surfing, but my mom was pretty, you know, “go for it.”
Are there any scenes that stuck out to you that were fabricated?
The Malina character was actually fictional, but I didn’t mind it. We all approved of it. You always have those kind of like girls that get in the heats all the time, and they’re a little more aggressive, so in a sense there’s girls like that, but it’s not like that catty between us.
The scene when your dad is going into surgery just before you arrive at the hospital — real?
Yea, that’s really cool because I think people are going to think, ‘Oh that’s not true. “How would they come up with that,” you know? They literally did role my dad out and use that same room.
What was it like having TV’s Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) play your friend’s dad?
I haven’t watched him that much, but my friend’s dad (the real guy) was stoked on him. He’s like, “Oh yeah, I’m fine with that.” Kevin was really cool. I didn’t get to hang out with him that much, but every time I saw him, he was super fun to be around.
What parts of the film did you really like? What did you think of the cinematography and the underwater camera-work?
I was really stoked on the surfing. We got really good waves for it, so that enhanced it a lot. I did really like the Thailand scene, that was cool.
When you woke up in the hospital after the attack, were you really as calm as portrayed in the film?
I was definitely just really calm, especially during the actual attack. That was a key factor in keeping me alive, but even throughout the whole experience, I just had peace and my family … I don’t know, I guess God just put that in me. It’s pretty amazing that I was able to just like, not freak out.
[image-2]Your biggest concern after the accident, in the film at least, was whether or not you would be able to surf again. Can you talk about that?
The doctor said I could go out on Thanksgiving and I had gone down to the beach the day before. I was watching all my friends at surf team, which I would normally be doing and the waves were really good. I called my parents and I was, “Can you bring the boards down, I really want to go out and so they all came down.”
I wasn’t sure and I kind of struggled on my first couple of waves and my dad wanted to help push me (to help her catch the wave) and I was like “No, I want to do it on my own.”
I got up on my third wave and I just had tears of joy and was just so stoked. It was more of a smaller wave, where beginners go and I was on a long-board and I’m normally on a short board and good waves. The wave just felt as good as any other wave and it was just so exciting. I just knew that I would be surfing for a long time.”
Talk about the difficulties of paddling out and catching waves?
I’ve had some pretty stressful moments, in contests, or I’d just be surfing where it’s beach break and there’s no channel to get out and you’re just duck-dive, duck-dive, duck-dive and I would just start crying.
I probably still would today.
How is it maintaining balance and duck-diving with only one arm?
My dad made the handle, so that made duck-diving a lot easier. I started off on a long board and worked my way down to the smaller boards and then putting my hand in the middle of the board helped a lot. Kind of just a lot of practice.
The film seems really highlights your relationship with your father. Can you talk about how important of a role he’s played in your life?
I love my dad. He’s pretty mellow and usually my mom’s the one disciplining us, unless it’s really serious, which it rarely is. He would always take me surfing when I was little. We would wake up at four in the morning and drive to the opposite side of the island, which is like a two-hour drive. He’s been a big part of my surfing career.
Do you get your strong will from him?
I don’t know, with my parents, I feel like I’m both of them, you know. Pretty evened out. They both were passionate surfers and they moved to Hawaii to surf and they taught me how to surf.
Talk about the impact your first trip to Thailand had on you?
I’ve been to a lot of countries and that was one of my best trips ever. There’s not really surf there, but it wasn’t about going to surf. It was about helping the people.
It was after the tsunami, so they were having a hard time with the ocean and getting back in there. A lot of kids hadn’t even touched it, so it was cool. First we went to this village. It’s called Sea Gypsie Village and a lot of kids hadn’t even left the village and so we took them into the main town, so that alone was really exciting. We taught them how to surf. At first, a lot of them were just kind of cruising on the beach and slowly, everyone got out there.
It was just really fun and exciting to help them with that. With the Thai culture, so much of their lifestyle is in the ocean so it was really important to help with that. I got to share my story with them and I could kind of relate with them.
Did you just feel grateful to still have your family at that point?
For sure. I’d met this one girl who had lost one of her siblings and one of her parents and she was getting ready to go to China, which not many Thai kids get to do. It’s a pretty poor country so they don’t really get to leave, but she had gotten a scholarship through school. That was kind of cool to just talk with her and she was still living life.
The scene where you taught the little boy in Thailand how to surf … Was that a Hollywood invention?
That’s pretty exaggerated but there were little boys that came and surfed so it still works.
Can you talk about some of the charity work that you do?
My family and I started a non-profit organization and it’s called Friends of Bethany. It’s just reaching out to amputees and shark-attack victims and just loving on anyone who is going through a hard time or something.
It’s kind of just starting up and we’re still figuring it out. I’ve gone on a couple mission trips with my church to Mexico and that was really cool. We would got to the orphanages and just show love for the kids there and help in any way needed. It’s a way to reach people.
When you first discovered the impact you were having on so many other people’s lives and started receiving fan mail, how did your mind-set change? Talk about that experience.
I think just knowing that it’s been helping people, it motivates me a little more. It gets kind of grueling to have to constantly do interviews and stuff like that. It’s not something I thrive off of.
The line in the film at the end — “I have the ability to embrace more people than I ever could with two arms.” — Is that how you looked at it?
Yeah, definitely. I would just be probably surfing and it’s only a small community, but now it’s like my story has reached a lot of people from all over the world.
Is it still surprising to see how many people know your story?
I’m kind of getting used to it already.
Have you met any inspirational people since you’ve become famous?
I met a lot of amazing people, but there’s this one guy, Nick Voichick. He has no limbs and he’s awesome.
We met Joni Eareckson Tada a couple days ago and that was cool. I read her book. She’s a painter with her head, but none of her body works. She hit her head on the ground diving when she was younger.
What did you do with the surfboard from the attack?
It’s in a museum now. It’s in the History of Women’s Surfing part. [Ed. Note: the board is in the California Surf Museum.]
What is your favorite surfing movie?
My favorite surf movie is North Shore. It’s a Hollywood-kind of film. It’s pretty corny and I love it though. You should see it, it’s super funny.
CL: What was the whole experience of having a film made about you like?
Bethany Hamilton: It was exciting and we — my family and I — all learned a lot, but it was kind of stressful at the same time because we’re trying to make [true to] our life and have the film come out as good as we can. I mean, it was a lot of pressure but at the same time, to see how well it’s turned out, it’s rewarding and exciting to see how it’s going to do in the theaters and stuff.
Being on the set was really fun. Everyone knows everyone by the end of the filming. All the actors were really cool. My brothers and Annasophia [Robb] and Lorraine had fun hanging out. My brothers and sister-in-law (present during the interview) all worked on the set and all my family members have a cameo throughout the film, so it’s just fun. Fun times.
What did you think of Annasophia Robb’s portrayal of you in the film?
Well I think she’s a very good up-and-coming actress and she really just got to know me and picked my brain. She said she wanted to capture the essence in me and I think she did.
We’re pretty different, but she’s kind of like a mini-me now. We have this little joke going. It was fun getting to know each other. It was kind of weird for me, because she’s supposed to be me, even though it doesn’t feel like she is to me ([which isn’t] a shot at her acting). But she did so good that I’m stoked to have gotten to know her. I hope her career goes really well.”
Did you surf with her at all?
Yea, I helped teach her how to surf with my coach. She came over as soon as she found out she got the part. And she’s pretty good. She’s from Colorado so no ocean, but she adapted really well and caught on. But she definitely had stunt surfing for all of her scenes.
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