Clay Marzo: Liquid Cure
Clay Marzo is one of the world's most gifted surfers. Clay Marzo has Asperger's syndrome' a form of high-functioning autism. And it is only when the 20-year-old steps off of dry land and immerses himself in the water that these two statements make perfect, miraculous sense.
By Jonah Lehrer
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CLAY MARZO HAS BEEN WAITING ALL MORNING FOR WAVES. He's standing with his surfboard next to a NO TRESPASSING sign on the edge of a pineapple field, looking down at a remote beach on the northwest shore of Maui. There are no tourists here, because there is no sand, just a field of jagged lava rocks and a private dirt road. The tide is still too far out, so the waves are trashy. Clay hasn't said a word for more than an hour; he hasn't even moved. He's just stood in the hot tropical sun and stared silently at the sea.
The waiting ends a few hours later, shortly after 1 P.M., when the trade winds begin to blow. Clay furiously rubs his hands together, like a man trying to start a fire, and lets out a few guttural whoops. He then grabs his board and quickly descends the steep slope in his bare feet, motioning for me to follow him.
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Asperger's turns social interaction into a source of suffering. "It's like everyone else has a bucket for dealing with people," says Clay, "and I only got a cup."
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There are a few surfers in the breaks to the right, away from the rocks. Clay heads to the left, where the waves are bigger. He paddles out and starts scanning the horizon, counting the seconds between the heaving swells. After a few minutes, he abruptly turns around and points his board toward the shore. His body goes taut and he starts to push backwards. The wave is still invisible