Mark Healey is immune to fear. He free dives as a hobby. He spearfishes every night for his dinner. Sharks? Prey, not predator. He is the kind of guy who needs no dare; he’ll take the path never-before-traveled every time, whether it’s the biggest wave you’d never tow into or the sheer rock cliff that looks like the fastest way to get back to his truck from the beach.

The way Healey puts it, if you’re gonna be dumb, you better be tough. And it’s exactly this combination of tenacity and fearlessness that makes him one of the world’s most electrifying big wave riders. Growing up on the North Shore gave Healey the chance to learn the intricacies of the island’s most infamous breaks, both above and below the surface. His comfort level at Pipe, Waimea and Sunset means he’s not afraid to experiment. And when he charges even bigger waves elsewhere—Jaws, Todos, Teahupoo, Puerto, Tasmania, Cortes Bank—his expertise as a waterman serves him well. He can stay in the moment and in control no matter how big it gets, a reflection of a lifetime spent learning how.

Being crazy gets you noticed, and that’s certainly the case for Healey. In addition to regular props from the holy trinity of surf media—Surfer, Surfing and Transworld— mainstream adrenaline pubs like Outside and Men’s Journal have made Healey’s swell- chasing lifestyle and poster boy abs the envy of Joe Average everywhere. Ever in training for the next wave, the devoted Quik rider has also been tapped to front the brand’s new performance apparel line, EQPT.

Some have deemed Healey the next Laird Hamilton, but a better comparison might be Healey’s favorite movie star, Steve McQueen: a guy who lived hard and liked to go fast.

But really, Healey defies comparison. This Pipeline aficionado is driven but humble, reckless but smart: a guy who laughs in the face of danger as much as his own folly.