Famous Surfers
Who are the iconic surfers, how they achieved victories over colossal waves, and what inner strength drove these conquerors – all of this is in our story.
Surfing, where humans challenge a fierce and unpredictable force of nature, attracts and shapes extraordinary individuals.
The history of extreme sports is filled with stories of perseverance, tragedy, records, and the ultimate triumph of the victors.
Duke Kahanamoku
Duke Kahanamoku
The first record in surfing is associated with the name of Hawaiian-American Duke Kahanamoku
.
In 1917, he conquered a legendary wave rising above the reef near the coast of Kalehuawehe on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, riding it for over a kilometer!
This athletic icon also worked as a lifeguard in California, and in 1925 he saved eight fishermen from an overturned boat by paddling out on his surfboard.
This act was hailed as the highest expression of humanitarian spirit.
The athlete’s name is enshrined in the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame.
Big Waves
Big Wave
Riding
giant waves in the ocean
is the pinnacle of extreme surfing.
Massive crests are dangerous due to the risk of devastating falls, painful impacts from the water’s force, and other perils—a renowned feature of “Ireland’s treasures” . Find out if San Sebastian in Spain boasts similar challenges.
A surfer slides down the face of a wave at speeds reaching 80 km/h, pursued by a massive wall of water.
These rapidly moving giant waves are life-threatening and demand exceptional skill from surfers, pushing them to the very limits of their abilities.
In recent years, dozens of thrill-seekers have lost their lives battling immense swells.
The Giant Waves of Oahu Island
Makaha
Makaha Coast
The waves at Makaha, located on the west coast of Oahu, translate from Hawaiian as “fierce, wild.”
Hawaiians George Downing and his friends spent 10 years mastering the art of riding high swells on 3–4-meter wooden boards.
In 1953, they successfully surfed a 9-meter wave in Makaha Bay.
This feat made headlines and became a sensation among Californian surfers.
In 1969, American Greg Noll rode down the tallest wave recorded in Makaha Bay.
Sunset Beach
Sunset Beach
On the north shore of Oahu, several surf spots lie side by side, which attract giant waves: Sunset Beach, Waimea, Banzai Pipeline, Log Cabins.
For a long time, the Sunset Beach spot was considered the pinnacle of global surfing excellence.
Its dangerous lava reef and six challenging wave peaks have always drawn extreme surfers.
In 1939, the waves at Sunset Beach were first “tamed” by Lorin Harrison, John Kelly, and Gene Smith, who used boards without fins .
The coastline has witnessed many horrific accidents.
In 1943, surfers Woody Brown and Dicky Cross caught an enormous swell here but were unable to make it ashore due to a storm.
Attempting to swim 3 miles to the safer Waimea Bay, Brown miraculously survived, while his 17-year-old companion vanished into the depths.
Waimea
Waimea
At the sandy coastline of Waimea Bay, colossal swells up to 20 meters in height sometimes form.
The first to surf the Waimea waves was Greg Noll.
In 1957, while observing a monumental swell from the shore, Noll famously declared: “Screw it, I’m going in” and took to the water.
His friends followed. The waves at Waimea Bay, measuring 7.5–9 meters, were intimidating even to seasoned Hawaiians.
Greg rode these giants on a massive 9-meter board.
In 1989, Titus Kinimaka broke his femur in half during a brutal wipeout here.
Californian Donnie Solomon was tragically prevented from diving due to being firmly tethered to his surfboard.
A deadly wave hurled him against the reefs, taking his life.
Eddie Aikau
Eddie Aikau
Legendary Hawaiian surfer Eddie Aikau began working as a lifeguard in 1968 on the beaches of Waimea Bay.
As the first lifeguard in the region, he courageously dove into monstrous waves, risking his own life to save others. Witness how perilous waves can get in Peniche →
Eddie is known as the conqueror of the giant Hawaiian wave.
In 1978, during a sea voyage, the vessel developed a leak, and Eddie set out for the island 19 kilometers away on a board to get help.
The vessel was saved, but the brave man was searched for extensively, albeit unsuccessfully.
The courageous rescuer was only 32 years old.
The phrase “Eddie would go” became a catchphrase, addressing hesitant surfers.
A championship in Waimea Bay is named in honor of Eddie Aikau.
Banzai Pipeline
Banzai Pipeline
The next record by Greg Noll was clinched in 1964 at the Banzai Pipeline (“Banzai Tubes”).
In winter, 10-meter-high waves form here.
These waves grow close to the shore, over a shallow coral reef.
This creates a danger, with a rider’s life here hanging by a thread.
Pipeline has claimed the lives of several professional surfers and photographers.
Mike Stang and Greg Noll swam for two hours to reach the lineup, and waited just as long for a wave.
Later, Greg shared that during his ride he felt trapped in the tube, comparing it to flying into emptiness aboard a spaceship.
Mavericks
Mavericks
In the 1970s, California wasn’t recognized as a big-wave destination, unlike
Cornwall
.
However, near the town of Half Moon Bay, giant Mavericks waves up to 25 meters high surge during winter.
This is caused by an unusually shaped underwater rock in their path.
These water monsters barrel 3 kilometers from shore at speeds of 30 km/hour. Reaching the lineup requires 45 minutes of paddling through rocky waters.
Daring surfers weren’t deterred by rocks, icy water, or the presence of sharks.
The first to conquer Mavericks solo was a 17-year-old local, Jeff Clark.
This happened in 1975, with the waves reaching 7 meters. Born in Singapore and raised in Oahu, Mark Foo fell in love with massive waves in the early 1980s and excelled at Waimea Bay.
In 1994, he flew to California. During a 6-meter Mavericks wave ride, Mark Foo fell off his board.
Foo’s death—the talented 36-year-old enthusiast and photographers’ favorite—shocked the surfing community.
The remarkable 35-year-old Hawaiian Sion Milosky expertly tackled big waves. On one occasion at Rocky Point, he saved a woman.
In February 2011, Milosky was named Surfer of the Year. In March, he headed to Mavericks, where he was consumed by the Californian swell. These stories of courageous athletes boosted the popularity of this extreme sport.
Ken Bradshaw
Ken Bradshaw
The American daredevil, specializing in big waves, used jet skis to transport surfers toward the waves.
In 1998, the legendary athlete rode a 20-meter-high wave at Log Cabins.
Bradshaw’s partner recalled that the dark wave resembled the roof of a massive house moving toward the shore. Up close, it thundered and foamed intensely. The three-story height difference felt like a roller coaster.
This was followed by an assault on a 25-meter water skyscraper at Sunset Beach.
It was a world record for its time. Footage of the ride was included in the famous surfing film “Extreme”.
Laird Hamilton
Laird Hamilton
California native Laird Hamilton introduced tow-in surfing on giant waves.
Tow-in surfing expanded athletes’ capabilities: increasing transportation speed and accessibility to waves of any height and distance from the shore.
Laird repeatedly risked his life.
This was the case in the late 1990s, when he and his team tamed the giant waves of Peahi, located on the northern coast of Maui, Hawaii.
Hawaiians noted the ability of this wave to transform into a terrifying monster depending on the weather and nicknamed it Jaws.
Wave crests up to 23 meters high and beyond form on the reef, move at a tremendous speed of 50 km/hour, slam into a 300-meter cliff, and create avalanches of foam.
In 2000, Hamilton set his sights on the Teahupoo spot on the southern coast of Tahiti.
The waves live up to the name of the spot, translated as “severed head.”
Crashing onto an overhanging semicircular reef, the crest—locally known as Chopu—rises quickly and sharply, forming a thick lip.
The wave stands out for its incredible power, mass, and ferocity.
Since 2000, 5 surfers have died here, including renowned Tahitian professional Brice Taerea, who fell from the crest directly onto the reef.
Laird Hamilton called Teahupoo “the wave of the millennium” and admitted that he conquered it thanks to his childhood dream: to become the greatest surfer in the world.
In 2014, the 50-year-old surfer conquered a wave in Malibu, created by Hurricane Marie.
Records of the 2000s
Surfing Records
Cortes Bank is a submerged island in the northern Pacific Ocean.
In the early 1990s, waves up to 27 meters high were recorded over this underwater bank.
In 2001, a team of surfers and tow-ins set off to tackle the giants. Mike Parsons used a tow and rode down a 20-meter-high wave.
The achievement was registered as a Guinness World Record, and the triumphant surfer received the Billabong XXL Award with a prize of $66,000.
In 2004, Pete Cabrinha rode a Jaws wave that was 21 meters high.
Four years later, Mike Parsons set a new milestone — 23 meters — during a fierce storm at Cortes Bank, updating his Guinness Book record.
Praia do Norte
Praia do Norte
This is the name of the legendary surf spot in the town of Nazaré, located on the western coast of
Portugal
.
Legendary surf spots in France here →
In winter, powerful swells from the Atlantic reach this area.
A deep underwater canyon, shaped like an arrow pointing to the town, focuses the energy of the swells.
When these swells meet shallow water, they quickly form uniquely towering waves that can exceed 33 meters.
Garrett McNamara
Garrett McNamara
The American conqueror of giant waves, Garrett McNamara, was born in 1967. His life’s purpose has been the hunt for big and challenging waves.
In 2002, McNamara and his partner won a prize of $70,000 in the Tow Surfing World Cup at the Jaws beach in Maui.
The following year, the daring rider rode through a 6.1-meter-wide tube at the same location and was surprised to make it out safely.
In 2007, McNamara ventured to surf the waves near Alaska’s glaciers, a journey that is documented in a film.
In 2011, in Nazaré, using a tow-in, Garrett tackled a wave 23.77 meters high. The record was entered into the Guinness Book of World Records.
In 2013, McNamara broke his own record by surfing a 30-meter wave in Nazaré. In the video footage, the wave looks terrifying — the size of a building.
In October of the same year, the record-setting achievement of 45-year-old Brazilian Carlos Burle was announced.
At Praia do Norte, the thrill-seeker rode down a water mountain measuring 30.5 meters but was knocked down by a wave as he exited. Burle has conquered giant waves on six continents of the planet.
Close on the heels of these record holders is British surfer Andrew Cotton, who showed a 24.3-meter result in Nazaré in 2014.
Record-breaking surfers push the boundaries of human capability and demonstrate extraordinary qualities: courage and willingness to take risks, selflessness, and inspiration.
Surfing teaches us to set high goals and live life to the fullest. Laird Hamilton once said, “What you should fear is not death but a life lived in vain.”
