While preparing for his role in The Surfer, Nicolas Cage strived to become a competent surfer. However, while training to dominate the waters, he suffered an accident that almost killed him, according to his own words.
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In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Cage recalled how surfing lessons went. As the actor's schedule is pretty much busy, he had a limited time to learn how to surf. However, other factors made things more difficult.
"We had things like weather conditions and believe it or not, shark reports and things, all that s---," Cage said.
All these factors make the perfect storm for accidents to happen. And, apparently, Cage has had a history of not doing particularly well while attempting to surf in general.
"I have surfed, but every time I've attempted surfing, I've been pounded to smithereens," he said. "I surfed down on Sunset Beach. When I was trying to learn, my teacher gave me a shortboard. I said, 'Look, I want a long board."
However, the long board didn't do him any favors, prompting the accident that almost took his life.
"I just got pounded and literally got stuck in the rip tide," Cage said. They said they saw my board, they call it 'tombstone. I'm climbing up the leash as I'm somersaulting, and I could have died."
The Love Of Surfing
Given that he became a father almost three years ago after marrying Riko Shibata, Nicolas Cage surely feels that that level of surfing is not for him, saying, "I don't know if I want to do it anymore."
Despite his close call with death, Cage believes he did a great job with The Surfer. While he is happy with the final cut, there's a scene from Big Wednesday, the 1979 film, that he would have loved to recreate.
"I seem to remember in my mind's eye, Jan-Michael Vincent on the board and then the board wiping across the frame," Cage said. "It was so beautiful in the water with the wiping of the board and then landing on its face in slow motion."
"I thought, gee, I really want to get that shot, but I didn't have the time to get my skills to the point where we could do it."
Eventually, once he quits acting for good, Nicolas Cage envisions a life that is dedicated to his family and, of course, to surfing. "The goal is to retire, surf, drink red wine, and eat spaghetti," Cage added.
