“I Nearly Drowned”: Lewis Hamilton Shares Near Death Experience He Had While Surfing
Credits: IMAGO Motorsport Images

While on the Hot Ones show with host Sean Evans, Lewis Hamilton was asked about the worst wipe-out he had faced while surfing. Braving through some intense hot wings, the seven-time world champion narrated a near-death experience that almost saw him run out of luck.

Hamilton revealed that the worst wipe-out he had ever experienced was when he was out surfing with Kelly Slater. As it turns out, the #44 driver was ambushed by four monster waves which even led to his surfboard being snapped in two. In the end, he weathered the storm but it got him closest to death.

Describing the exercise of ducking in, catching hold of the reef, and waiting for the wave to pass, Hamilton said that he had to do it three times consecutively. “I nearly ran out of air, you know, I nearly drowned”, he explained.

According to Surfer Today, the Briton actually got his first taste of surfing during his relationship with Nicole Scherzinger. After their breakup, the #44 driver kept at it and was eventually mentored by the likes of Slater and Kai Lenny into really falling in love with the sport.

Lewis Hamilton is an adventure sports freak

Lewis Hamilton is really an adrenaline junkie and surfing is not the only sport he likes to dabble in when he’s not driving. For instance, he is also an avid skydiver.

Hamilton’s inherent affinity for adventure sports probably stems from his F1 lifestyle. Once out of the car, it isn’t a far stretch to imagine the Briton seeking to replace the thrill and adrenaline rush elsewhere.

With such activities often involving high risks, one would expect Mercedes not to be in favor of them. However, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is more than happy to allow the 39-year-old to indulge in such activities.

SilverArrows.net quoted the Austrian as once revealing, “Others meditate or run, but Lewis jumps out of a plane to clear his head. And he should!” Wolff then also explained that as long as Hamilton continues to perform on the track, he doesn’t mind what the Briton chooses to do in his spare time.