Randy Laine (born Elliott Randolph Laine on July 17, 1952 in North Carolina) is an American big-wave surfer, co-pioneer of
tow-in surfing
Tow-in surfing is a surfing technique which uses artificial assistance to allow the surfer to catch faster-moving waves than was traditionally possible when paddling by hand. Tow-in surfing was invented by surfers who wanted to catch big waves ...
athlete
An athlete is most commonly a person who competes in one or more sports involving physical strength, speed, power, or endurance. Sometimes, the word "athlete" is used to refer specifically to sport of athletics competitors, i.e. including track ...
, celebrity-enthusiast, television personality, commercial product endorser and spokesman, and on occasion a men's fashion and action-sports model. Laine is considered to be one of the top, if not the best professional freestyle Jet Skiers to date.
In October 2008, Laine will be inducted into the IJSBA's ( International Jet Sports Boating Association) Hall of Fame, where he will be honored for inventing many of the extreme aerial maneuvers used in freestyle jet ski competition today. The ceremony is to take place in
Lake Havasu
Lake Havasu () is a large reservoir formed by Parker Dam on the Colorado River, on the border between San Bernardino County, California, and Mohave County, Arizona. Lake Havasu City sits on the Arizonan side of the lake with its Californian coun ...
Laine, who is nicknamed "The Father of Freeride" The Adventure's of Randy Laine Source: Carlsbad Magazine, written by Wendy Hinman in May 2007. is sponsored by
Red Bull
Red Bull is a brand of energy drinks created and owned by the Austrian company Red Bull GmbH. With a market share of 43%, it is the most popular energy drink brand as of 2020, and the third most valuable soft drink brand, behind Coca-Cola and ...
, Billabong, Jet Pilot, Pro Tec, Skat Trak, and Hydro Turf, and has appeared in and on the cover's of over two dozen magazines, including a 1970's spread in Playgirl Magazine. In January 2001, as a part of the first documented expedition to the
Cortes Bank
Cortes Bank is a shallow seamount (a barely submerged island) in the North Pacific Ocean off California. It is southwest of San Pedro in Los Angeles, west of Point Loma in San Diego, and southwest of San Clemente Island in Los Angeles County. ...
, Laine set a world record for the biggest wave ever ridden on a
jet ski
A personal watercraft (PWC), also called Jet Ski or water scooter, is a primarily recreational watercraft that is designed to hold only a small number of occupants, who sit or stand on top of the craft, not within the craft as in a boat.
P ...
(a
Yamaha SuperJet
The SuperJet is a stand-up type personal watercraft (PWC) made by Yamaha Motor Corporation. Part of Yamaha's WaveRunner line of watercraft, it was introduced in 1990 and has become one of the most successful stand-up personal watercraft ever made ...
), where he conquered a 72-foot wave. Beginning in 2002, Laine joined the Billabong Odyssey as marine coordinator,Randy Laine - 70 Feet and Holding by Ken McKnight Source: AllAboutSurf.com, posted July 24, 2005. and has been searching for an unprecedented wave to ride in an effort to set a record for
tow-in surfing
Tow-in surfing is a surfing technique which uses artificial assistance to allow the surfer to catch faster-moving waves than was traditionally possible when paddling by hand. Tow-in surfing was invented by surfers who wanted to catch big waves ...
. Laine has resided primarily in San Diego, California for the last thirty-five years. He splits his time between San Diego, Baja California, Mexico, and the Northshore of Oahu, Hawaii. Laine has one daughter, fashion designer and model
Randolph Scott
George Randolph Scott (January 23, 1898 – March 2, 1987) was an American film actor, whose Hollywood career spanned from 1928 to 1962. As a leading man for all but the first three years of his cinematic career, Scott appeared in dramas, come ...
, through his great grandfather Rufus Butler Scott. Both Randy and his sister Scott Laine, were named after their great uncle.