08 Aug Top Surfing Videos
While we all love surfing and being in the water, we have to admit that watching videos of pros taking surfing beyond what we ever will or think is possible is an attention grabber.
In this post, we want to share with you exactly that: the best surfing videos that will show you the deepest barrels ever surfed, the largest waves ever ridden and the gnarliest wipeouts you’ll never want to endure.
Just remember next time you’re on a surf trip to bring a camera and a first aid kit, just in case you happen to be the star of the video in the category you don’t want to be in!
Table of contents:
Top 5 Big Wave Surfing Videos
Surfing the 100ft Swell in Nazare | 60 Minutes Australia
The largest and meanest waves in the world slam into a headland in Portugal called Nazaré. Such is this monster break, it often breaks those brave charging men who attempt to take it on. But the precarious line between disaster and glory is precisely the reason why surfers like Ross Clark Jones and Mick Corbett can’t stay away from there.
In November 2017 the 60 Minutes Australia team travelled to Nazare to film Ross and Mick. They had heard about the incredible big wave surfing happening down there over the past few years and decided that they wanted to join the action. In the 15 min clip you’ll see the Aussie duo – the oddball and the young bull – showing off the Nazare insanity.
“Code Red” Full Movie – Surfing Huge Teahupoo in Tahiti
On August 27, 2011, the Surfing World Tour’s Billabong Pro Tahiti Event was placed on hold due to a major swell bearing down the famed big-wave spot, Teahupoo. The Tahitian Coast Guard called for a “Code Red” closing the waters to all craft. But this didn’t stop some of the world’s best riders to squeeze into the lineup and surf the monstrous, historic waves.
Told through the eyes of two surfers – young Laurie Towner and the veteran Dylan Longbottom – this 15-minute film details how they eluded the government’s advisory to tackle some of the largest barreling waves ever surfed. Filmmakers did an awesome job capturing this and the footage in this amazing surfing video is both amazing and downright frightening.
Is This the Biggest Cloudbreak Swell Ever Surfed ? – Sessions
On May 28, 2018, all big names in the big wave surfing community flocked to Cloudbreak in anticipation of a swell that was expected to create surf of historic proportions. The forecast was calling for absolutely mountainous waves, and Mother Nature didn’t disappoint. It was one of the major swells to hit the tiny Island of Fiji in over six years – and it lived up to the hype.
Some of the most talented charging men tracked charts and decided to call it ON, booking flights and jetting off for a strike mission unlike any other. Kai Lenny, Garret McNamara, Kelly Slater, Ramon Navarro, Luke Shepardson and more showed up for the day – and got to witness one of the finest moments in Cloudbreak history.
Biggest Swell of the 2018 Season – NAZARE
January 14th, 2019 – a huge swell charged the coast of Nazare. Surfline was calling for the swell to hit 25-30ft, that’s then magnified by the extremely deep canyon that leads up to Nazare, creating the massive waves you’ll see in this epic footage. This was easily the most mind-blowing swell of this season so far – hopefully, there’s an even bigger one on the way!
Featured riders: Garrett McNamara, Rodrigo Koxa, Andrew Cotton, Nuno Santos, Sebastian Steudtner, Sergio Cosmico, Alessandro Marciano, Toby Cunningham, Francisco Porcella, David Langer, Justine Dupont, Lucas Chumbo, Carlos Burle, Will Scooten, Ian Cosenza, Trevor Carlson, Alemao de Maresias. They’re responsible for giving us some of the most amazing rides, and wipeouts ever seen.
Laird Hamilton – The Greatest Big Wave Surfer Who’s Ever Lived?
Laird Hamilton is considered by many as the greatest big wave surfer of all time. He’s popularized standup paddling and invented tow-in surfing (along with his two close friends Buzzy Kerbox and Darrick Doerner) which has allowed athletes to ride enormous waves in the ocean that were previously deemed impossible.
He went from surfing 30ft to +50ft waves, redefining what was possible in big wave surfing. Laird’s fearless approach has earned him the respect and admiration of surfers around the world, continuing to push the limits of his own mortality. In this short edit, you’ll enjoy Hamilton’s compilation from the film ‘Laird’. If you want to see the entire movie, buy the full ‘Laird’ DVD at lairdhamilton.com.
Top 5 Surfing Wipeouts Videos
Greg Long: Big Wave Rider | Nat Geo Live
Greg Long dedicated a great part of his life to follow the greatest ocean storms around the globe. But after several years of pushing down the limits, this outstanding athlete would realize how easy it is to make mistakes, and that consequences are very real.
In 2012, striving to pursue the largest waves in the world, Long took on a deep open-ocean beast known as Cortes Bank, about 100 miles offshore from San Diego, CA. Unfortunately, he suffered a wipeout that nearly killed him.
Once attended, Greg was air-flown by helicopter to the UCSD Medical Center and released 2 days after. Now he shares his experience and tells how he overcame his fears to finally face the monstrous wave once more.
Niccolo Porcella at Teahupoo 2 – 2016 TAG Heuer Wipeout Entry – WSL Big Wave Awards
After more than a decade successfully charging big waves and kite surfing, pro athlete Nicollo Porcella (Sardegna, Italy) became internet famous for eating it big-time. On July 22th, 2015 at Teahupo’o, cameras caught him falling off his board while dropping down the face of a huge wave and then hurled toward the reef by rolling over with a massive lip.
We’re pretty sure the 27-year old surfer didn’t plan on getting one of the best entries of the year to the TAG Heuer ‘Wipeout of the Year’ category of the 2016 WSL Big Wave Awards, but he did it! In the meanwhile, he gave us one of the most mind-blowing wipeouts ever. See how he’s depicted in the second angle by Tim Pruvost.
Top 5 Insane Surfing Wipeouts
Washing machine? Well, forget it… this is way worse. Here’s the top five of insane surfing wipeouts – a compilation of the world’s biggest wipeouts and fails of bodyboarders, and professional big wave surfers from all around the globe.
Big wave surfing is the ultimate celebration of extreme surfing. Challenging deadly waves in harsh weather and ocean conditions takes a very serious approach. But despite frightening, we never get tired of watching guys ride 50-100ft monsters and sometimes falling. You won’t believe these near-death experiences. Don’t miss the #1 – the craziest wipeout we’ve ever seen!
Calm Under Pressure – Big Wave & Dramatic Rescue Sequence in Nazaré, Portugal
The action starts with Toby Cunningham getting towed into a huge wave in Nazare, Portugal, during the big wave session of February 7, 2019. After successfully riding the massive wave which was the first of a big set- Toby gets caught by the water and falls off his board.
His rescue teammate, surfer Glyn Oven tries to reach him several times with the Jet Ski, but there’s a little window of opportunity for a successful rescue. The moments that follow were full of stress.
However, Toby manages to stay calm under pressure and eventually gets picked up by Brazilian Surfer Ian Cosenza. Fortunately, this 5 wave pounding incident had no injuries. Toby was back surfing that same day, about an hour later.
Maya Gabeira’s Brush With Death | The Biggest Surf Story of the Year
On October 29th, 2013, one of the largest swells in recent memory hit Nazaré, off Portugal’s majestic coast. It attracted big-wave surfers from around the world, including Brazilians Carlos Burle and Maya Gabeira.
Carlos rode what many believe to be the largest wave ever surfed. There was, however, a darker side to the event. That was Maya’s story. She was pushing hard while dropping into a wave when the worst-case scenario happened – she failed to negotiate a bump, snapped and went under.
The wipeout broke her ankle, ripped off her life vest, and left her face-down, unconscious in the water. Five minutes later Carlos plucked her from the water and took her to the shore where she was resuscitated. You have to watch her video and see how she just narrowly escaped death
Top 5 Surfing Airs Videos
Surfing’s Greatest Airs
Surfing airs are difficult. Period. Before being able to accomplish these, a surfer must be able to stay balanced on the water. Once this happens they can start trying to get their surfboard out of the water.
In this surfing video, you’ll find a compilation of surfing’s greatest airs!
Featured surfers: Filipe Toledo, John John Florence, Kelly Slater, Gabriel Medina, Dane Reynolds, Italo Ferreira, Mikey Wright, Julian Wilson, Albee Layer, Jordy Smith, Dion Agius, Griffin Colapinto, Noa Deane, Chippa Wilson, Kolohe Andino, Mason Ho, Matt Meola and Seth Moniz
Who’s Leading the Aerial Charge?
Some of the most outstanding names in the Aerial Surfing scene share their thoughts on the ‘froggy’, the ‘superman’ and even the ‘passion pop’. In this ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ episode, you’ll also find who’s leading up the charge on aerial innovation and whether they think it’s a good idea or not, to name an aerial after yourself.
Check out the video and see how John Florence, Taj Burrow, Kai Neville, Josh Kerr and a few other lads are being interviewed. In the end, you should be able to make your own choice, will you agree with them? Who would you say is the best in the air?
Skuff TV Surf | Fly Me To The Moon | The Best Contest Airs
What is the best contest air you have ever seen? If you’re a surfing fan you probably already have your favourite or at least a top-five. But if it’s not the case, this ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ episode will give you an idea of the magic involved in such an amazing practice and how an insane air should look like in a contest.
Some of the top aerial surfers like John John Florence, Taj Burrow and Josh Kerr also give us their take on some of their craziest surfing air maneuvers ever seen in surfing contest history. Don’t miss it and check it out!
All Perfect 10 ● Surf
Compilation of world’s most outstanding contest surfers showcasing the greatest maneuvers we’ve ever seen in the surfing contest scene. Quicksilver Pro Gold Coast, Oi Rio Pro, Fiji Pro, Billabong Pro Tahiti, Hurley Pro Trestles, Quicksilver Pro France, Rip Curl Pro Portugal, and Billabong Pipe Masters were the surfing competitions that received these fantastic athletes.
They all have different surfing styles, but their vast experience combined with their incredible ability in the water plus the finest sense of innovation makes all their ridings look fantastic and put the entire audience on their feet.
Featured surfers: Filipe Toledo, Gabriel Medina, Kelly Slater, Tanner Gudauskas, Jordy Smith.
Go Behind Kai Lenny’s 20ft Jaws Lip Drop
When one of the biggest swells to grace the Hawaiian shores hit Peahi on November 26, 2018, Kai Lenny airdropped 20 feet down the face of an absolute monster wave. Call it a lip drop, airdrop or the world’s greatest floater. One thing is certain – Kai opened a new chapter in high-performance big wave surfing.
Not to mention, all this happened when the 2018 JAWS Challenge was called off because of the massive waves. But despite all the odds, Lenny showed there’s still a lot of room for improvement and progression. In this clip, the Hawaiian waterman recounts that epic moment and shares how his experience helped prepare him for that day.
Top 5 Surfing Barrels Videos
Koa Smith Skeleton Bay 2018: 1 Wave, 8 Barrels
Koa Smith on the best wave of the day at Skeleton Bay (Namibia), getting nothing less than 8 barrels on 1 insane wave, travelling over 1.5km in distance and surfing for 2 minutes straight. Yeah, you read it right! Eight barrels. This is what all surfers search for, but will likely never find; a once in a lifetime kind of experience.
According to the drone pilot/filmmaker Chris Rogers, to cover that amount of ground in just 2 minutes, the average speed Koa was riding must have been 28 mph, which is crazy for average speed, and even more mind-numbing when you wonder what he topped out at. Take a look at the video and enjoy this amazing wave from the heights.
The Best Barrel Ever Filmed
There’s a stoked little tube rider in all of us just waiting to drop in. It is one of the first fantasies to capture the surfer’s spirit. However, it takes years of practice for developing the technique to successfully riding an amazing barrel. John John Florence knows exactly what he’s doing.
During the short clip, you’ll first see a huge wave breaking that at first glance, seems impossible for anyone to be inside the barrel. Then, John John Florence emerges. Enjoy what many believe is the best barrel ever captured on camera.
Positively Kai: 50ft Barrels in Jaws | S1E17
Kai is in Jaws (Peahi, Hawaii) for the first big wave swell of the season. In a memorable two-day supersession, an elite group of big wave surfers, and other daring locals put their fears aside and paddle into some 50ft monsters.
Kai Lenny is everywhere – literally. He’s chasing swells, leading the big wave world tour ratings and foiling waves just about everywhere they break. So he’s the perfect one to tell us the details of this session that promised to amplify the big wave surfing to stratospheric levels. In this ‘Positively Kai’ episode, see him sharing his thoughts and saying who he thinks was better at the JAWS.
Laurie Towner Paddles into Cloudbreak, Fiji
Cloudbreak is one of the heaviest waves in the world, and in 2018, Laurie Towner late dropped into this massive barrel during a huge swell. Many claim this to be one of the best barrels of all time, and it’s certainly one of the best surfing videos of all time.
GoPro: Koa Smith’s 27 Second Skeleton Barrel – GoPro of the World August Winner
The mind-blowing wave surfed by Koa Smith at Skeleton Bay in Namibia, Africa. Possibly the longest deep sand barrel ever filmed documented in the history of surfing. Have any of you seen a longer barrel ride or surfed a more awe-inspiring surf spot? We doubt it.
If there were ever a wave that couldn’t be oversold, embellished, or “misremembered,” its Koa Smith’s two-minute-long, eight-barrel through one Skeleton Bay screamer. And thanks to the video proof of it all — GoPros and drones involved— Koa doesn’t even have to talk the whole thing up. Here’s what it looked like from Koa’s point of view.
Did we miss any extraordinary top surfing videos you know of that should be part of the list? Share them with us in the comments section below or let us know on our Facebook page!
For more surf inspiration, check out our compilation of incredible quotes about surfing.