In late December at Cortes Bank, when the perceived paddle barriers were once again shattered, big-wave superstars like Pete Mel and Greg Long rode waves beside unidentified men who had spent the last year working overtime and stashing away the extra cash for just one crack at history -- because such a feat defines their lives as much as it does their famous counterparts'. And know what? It was these nameless men that picked off the best waves.

We caught up with Gold -- a shaper and family man -- at home a few days after his maiden trip to Cortes, following a session at one of his favorite outer reefs. The discussion drifted between the en vogue state of big-wave paddle surfing, death, dreams, and, of course, why there will forever be at least one "unidentified" in every big-wave super session.

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