Resilient, precise and pioneering—
and that’s just their timepieces.
Meet the world’s boldest leaders in
aquatic endeavour and marine
conservation with the exceptional
wristwatches they rely on
Primal, euphoric, addictive. Kai Lenny likens the draw to riding waves as taking on
the ocean gods. “It requires every fibre of your body and mental awareness, and that
involvement leads to pinnacle experiences that are almost indescribable,” he says. “Time
slows down and 10 seconds feels like minutes—it’s a feeling that I know now I cannot live
without.” At this year’s 19th annual World Surf League Awards, Lenny was declared the
XXL Biggest Wave Winner for the gargantuan wall of water he rode at Jaws, Maui, Hawaii
on November 26, 2018—an experience he shared with his trusty, resilient TAG Heuer
Aquaracer. “I have such a friendship bond with my timepiece created by going through
these big-wave experiences,” says the multiple surfing and stand-up paddling champion.
“I have put it through scenarios that I was surprised my body could even handle. As time
passes, I feel my watch absorbs our experiences, so it really is a prized possession.” The
day before his prize-winning XXL ride, Lenny read the ocean-buoy data and used his TAG
to calculate the precise time that the most colossal swell would come in. “While we were
waiting for the break, I checked my watch and literally to the second this gigantic wave
came in—the wave which would inevitably be the biggest ride of my life so far. Had my
watch been off at all, I might have lost faith that it was ever coming and missed the most
important ride I’ve ever had.”—SARAH EDWORTHYPhotographed in Maui, Hawaii on June 24, 2019 wearing a TAG Heuer Aquaracer Calibre 16Kai Lenny
BIG WAVE SURFERPhotograph by MORGAN MAASSEN
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