Tim Burnham + The Wedge. Waterman. Filmmaker. Lifeguard. Community.
Tim Burnham does a lot of things… and much of his life has been influenced by his decades of focusing his attention on one of the heaviest and most notorious waves on the planet. The Wedge.
The Wedge is an iconic beast of a wave in Newport Beach, CA and when it’s big it is one of the heaviest, most dangerous… and most mesmerizing waves out there. Are there bigger waves? Yes. Are there more dangerous waves? Maybe. Is the Wedge capable of killing you? Absolutely.
Tim is part of the Wedge Crew; a community of “characters” that has made their focus the mastery of this mutant of a wave. And Tim tackles it on all craft: bodysurfing, surfing, bodyboarding, knee boarding and even on a surf mat. It’s amazing to watch truly skilled watermen and women, like Tim, wrangle this wave and make it look “fun.” Most people, myself absolutely included, have watched the Wedge for most of my life… from the beach. That’s where most humans belong.
In addition to his exploits in waves of consequence, Tim is also a jack of many trades: a filmmaker, a lifeguard, a board member of the Ben Carlson Foundation, a surf movie presenter, a CO2 tolerance instructor, a husband and… a grandpa.
Tim is rad. You’ll enjoy this one for sure.
Time: 0:46
Wedge / Zen Den
Time: 1:10
Ben Carlson
Time: 1:02
Movie Maker
Time: 1:11
Lifeguarding
0:00 – Tim Burnham Joins the Show
1:06 – Tim’s Multi-Craft Waterman Life Explained
4:39 – Childhood, Family Roots, and Early Days in Irvine
7:07 – Moving to the Port Streets and Newport Community
10:14 – High School Years and the Modern Day Football Experience
12:32 – Family Lifeguard History and Discovering Surf
13:18 – El Morro: Growing Up in the Legendary Beach Trailer Park
17:05 – Learning Big Hollow Waves at El Morro
23:06 – College Years: From Pole Vaulting to OCC and Long Beach
31:11 – The Entrance to Wedge and Community Lore
41:05 – Becoming Part of the Wedge Crew
44:09 – Big Wave Risks and the 2009 Wedge Incident
49:41 – PSA: Ocean Safety and Wedge for Kids & Parents
50:02 – Remembering Wedge Crew Characters and Traditions
56:26 – “Dirty Old Wedge” Documentary and Filmmaking
59:04 – The Ben Carlson Foundation and Ben’s Legacy