In a special two-parter episode of The Lineup, Dave Prodan sits down with fearless big wave charger and YETI ambassador Tom Lowe for two powerful conversations - one from before his nearly fatal incident in Tahiti in June 2025 and one after.
In the first part of the episode, Tom rejoins us from Tahiti, still in recovery, right from the very place where he describes everything went very quickly from a dream to a nightmare. He walks us through the day it happened, at least all the moments he remembers. He recounts the locals' heroics, catching a few mid-sized waves himself, gaining confidence, and feeling ready for a big one. He speaks candidly about the mental toll of this injury versus the physical, and the emotional weight of what he's put his loved ones through. With striking vulnerability, he opens up about the recovery, the guilt, the gratitude, and the commitment to keep moving forward.
The second part of the episode was recorded just before Tom's most recent mission to Tahiti, a trip that would culminate in a near-fatal injury at Teahupoʻo. Lowe discusses both the clarity and the nerves he was bringing into the swell, feeling ready to return since his first nearly fatal injury back there in 2023. He discusses life as a dad, the rhythm he's found chasing waves around the world, and the emotional toll of leaving behind his young family to pursue swells as a professional big wave surfer. He reflects on his latest film with YETI, Let Me Live, a raw and beautifully captured portrait of identity, purpose, and a life on the edge, produced by the legendary Keith Malloy and Bimarian Films.