Bethany Hamilton 'audiences are stoked about my life!'

Bethany Hamilton thinks audiences are “stoked” about Soul Surfer the new movie based on her life.

More than seven years ago, before dawn on Halloween morning, Hamilton had her left arm taken off by a 14-foot tiger shark while they were sharing the waters off the shore of Kauai, Hawaii.

“When can I surf again?” the 13-year-old asked after emergency surgery.

Bethany returned almost immediately, hoping to help others overcoming obstacles put in front of them.

Hamilton, now 21 and on the women’s pro tour since 2007, talked about the audience’s reaction to the film.

” I thought everyone was stoked on it,” she said.

“That’s really nice. I had heard it was hard to get good feedback from L.A. because everyone can be so critical about movies. It was cool. Everyone enjoyed it, and we had a wonderful night with my family and some of my best friends.

“Of course, I want to share my faith and my love of surfing, but I want it to be natural. I didn’t want to push it on anyone. I want them to just be encouraged, see how good things can come from bad. Everyone thinks, `How horrible,’ but I see all the good that has come out of it. I’m still surfing all over the world. It’s cool to know that hopefully we can have another surfing movie on the big screen.”