Riding a Wave

FOR A MASTER CLASS ON HOW TO “WORK HARD, PLAY hard,” look no further than Albright. An orthopedic surgeon and joint-replacement specialist based near Portland, Oregon, the father of three is also a competitive windsurfer. Raised in Marshall, Michigan, Albright was introduced to the sport at age 13, adding to a list of athletic interests. A member of the Dartmouth ski team as an undergrad, the doctor also paddleboards and skis. These days his passion for windsurfing has put him on a national stage: Last summer he claimed fourth place in the amateur division of the American Windsurfing Tour Pistol River Wave Bash in Gold Beach, Oregon. “It’s a very inclusive tour,” Albright explains during a break from the operating room. He interacts with “the people at the top of the business, as well as lots of people who are just doing it for fun.” And what fun it is: Describing windsurfing as “surfing with the added bonus of the power of wind,” Albright says it is akin to racing BMX. “It’s very exhilarating and super high-speed,” he says.

In many ways the intensity of life at work and at sea bal- ance each other. While the surf helps to clear his mind—in 15-to 20-foot waves “there’s no time to think about anything else,” Albright says—the pressures of the office have helped to steady his board. “Stressful situations that I’ve engaged in in my work as a surgeon have helped me as a competitor, and that’s been an enjoyable realization.”

Albright’s motto: “How much is this going to hurt?”

“My ability to stay relaxed under pressure is much, much better than it was when I was 21 years old.”