Hailing from the central coast of New South Wales, Australia, Ross Clarke-Jones joined the ASP world tour in 1986, at age 19. He was good in the small waves that the tour typically competed in at that time. But when the surf jacked up to 20-plus feet in the 1986 Billabong Pro at Waimea Bay, Clarke-Jones heaved himself over leadges and exited the water as one of the world's great big waves surfers—and has held that position ever since. He's been a major force in nearly every Eddie, winning that coveted event in 2001. He's paddled Jaws, towed Mavericks, Nazare, and Shipstern Bluff, and pioneered several mutant, way-out-to-sea slabs. He was the subject of the 2006 documentary titled The Sixth Element: The Ross Clarke Jones Story, narrated by the late Dennis Hopper. He and Tom Carroll starred in Storm Riders, a big-wave surfing reality show on the Discovery Channel, which led to Storm Riders 3D, a feature-length documentary.

In this episode of Soundings, Clarke-Jones sits down with Jamie Brisick to talk about glory and catastrophe at Waimea Bay, manifestation, his lifelong relationship with Hawaii, racing sports cars, overcoming injury, maintaining motivation, dealing with fear, and the joys of small waves.

Produced by Jonathan Shifflett. Music by PazKa (Aska Matsumiya & Paz Lenchantin).