Ground Swell: The Other Side of Fear (2023) Movie Script
1
[WAVES SPLASHING]
[DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING]
NARRATOR:
The logical thing,
the sane thing,
is to stay on shore.
[INTENSE MUSIC PLAYING]
But they paddle out.
Now,
it's easy to understand
the fun side of surfing.
Grown men and women frolicking
in the gentle waves of summer.
But then,
there are the others.
What are we to make of it?
NARRATOR:
In the face of an unfeeling,
unthinking, uncaring force,
they choose to put
themselves in harm's way.
It's easy
to dismiss them as crazy,
mindless daredevils
without a cause.
But yet we are transfixed.
Why are we drawn to it,
when we can't see the meaning
amid the maelstrom?
Why are we thrilled to
a dance surrounded
by violence?
NIC: Everyone has dreams.
Everyone is
afraid of the dreams
and a lot of people
are not able
to achieve their dreams
because of fear
gets in the middle of it.
Facing fear in the eyes,
and really
overcoming that fear...
MATT: The big challenges
are always scary.
But the bigger the challenge,
the more
it's going to help you to
grow.
Whatever walk of life
you are from,
you have your challenges
and your big waves to surf.
Everyone has that fear
that that's holding them
back,
and you have to
face that fear.
NARRATOR: If fear
held us back,
would there be
a landing on the moon?
Would there be miraculous
life-saving vaccines?
Would we have tamed fire?
And would we discover
the unimaginable
but inevitable next?
The answer is...
They don't stay on land.
They paddle out.
Maybe the way to understand,
to make paddling out part of
all our lives,
is to follow as a half dozen
of the best big wave surfers
in the world
live their lives
through a big wave winter
around the globe.
It's the season
when the North Pacific
and the North Atlantic
pump out massive waves
generated by massive storms.
Perhaps the answer,
the inspiration
and maybe even the meaning
will reveal itself.
We start off our journey
in Nazare, Portugal,
an ancient fishing village
that has emerged
as the epicenter of
big wave surfing
in the last 10 years.
It's rooted in an age old
seafaring country
where exploration
and leaving the shore
are part of the national DNA.
NIC: That sailing,
that ocean culture
of the early explorations
of Portugal
is really reflecting back,
here in Nazare,
you know, like a man at sea.
You know, a more evolved,
more technological...
We're exploring the world
through the waves,
and we are raising
the flag of Portugal
through our wave surfing,
you know.
NARRATOR: For Nic Von Rupp,
he discovered
his passion for big waves
while competing
in small ones.
Winning contests
wasn't enough of a reward
as he battled
on the pro circuit.
He thirsted
for a bigger challenge.
Literally.
Like, I was being successful,
my sponsors were backing me,
like, financially was the best
year of my life and...
But it was really like,
I was like,
"Yeah, I want to be happy,"
you know, like,
I want to do what
I want to do.
And that was it.
I told my sponsors. I'm like,
"Guys, I'm gonna focus
on big wave surfing."
NARRATOR: Despite success
in competition,
knowing better big waves
were breaking elsewhere,
was too much for him.
He gave up one possible
career, but found another
one,
in life threatening,
but uniquely
rewarding big surf.
Carrying on
the Portuguese tradition
of taking on the sea.
Nazare embodies,
the essence of this history.
Where legend has it,
a hunter was saved
on a cliff's edge by a saint,
infusing the seaside town,
with a deep religious
overlay,
including a church,
originally founded
in the 14th century.
[BIANCA SPEAKING]
NARRATOR:
In more recent times,
the fishing village was known
for tragic widows
and special dresses
telling the story of
lost husbands at sea.
[BIANCA SPEAKING]
NARRATOR:
But the same wave that
caused tragedy
for the fisherman,
is the siren
for today's pilgrims.
The surfing story of Nazare,
starts with one man,
a struggling
Hawaiian big wave surfer,
Garrett McNamara,
who stumbled on Nazare
back in 2012.
NIC: We really needed
someone experienced.
Uh, like Garrett, you know,
at the time,
he must have been 40 already,
like, had tons of experience
coming from Hawaii.
Hawaii, was, and is
the epicenter
when it comes down
to technologies
of big wave surfing
and knowledge,
and safety,
and so on.
So bringing all that
knowledge to Portugal,
has really revolutionized
this place, you know.
NIC: This town here,
this used to be a...
Sorry to say, and I don't
mean to offend
anyone here in Nazare,
but this used to be like...
Ten years ago, used to be a
shitty town.
Everyone was broke.
Middle of a crisis.
Restaurants were closed.
NARRATOR:
In the interim decade,
things have changed.
NIC: If you walk
through the town,
restaurants are full,
people are drinking beers
on the streets,
you know,
like, everyone's happy,
everyone is making a living.
[SINGING IN PORTUGUESE]
[BELL DINGING]
[SINGING CONTINUES]
Big wave,
Nazare.
NIC: There's people
flying from
all over the world
to come see this place.
And the truth is,
the best place
to see big waves
is, is here.
NARRATOR: What draws surfers
from nations around the world
is not just the size,
but the incredible,
unmatched consistency
of the giant surf in Nazare.
Making it perhaps
the best stage on the planet
for facing fears
and pushing boundaries.
It's still a
matter of patience
waiting for
the truly epic days.
And while Nazare
waits for these
mega swells to arrive,
this winter, the other side
of the big wave world
stirs to life.
The swell is
forecasted to hit Peahi,
otherwise known as Jaws
on the north shore of Maui.
For tourists,
it's delicious idyll.
But to others,
it's the ultimate test
for a big wave surfer.
Among them, drawn to
the paddling in style at Jaws,
over the jet ski assisted
towing approach at Nazare,
is South African,
Matt Bromley.
MATT: Hawaii looked like
it was going
into a really good pattern.
And it looked like
there was some big storms
heading to Jaws.
MATT: I kind of gave myself,
like,
I am going to stay in Hawaii
for a month,
away from my family.
This is my period to get
big waves at Jaws.
In La Nina years,
the motto is,
if there is anything, you
better go and you rearrange
your life
to chase those swells
when they are there.
'Cause there might not be
another one behind it.
NARRATOR: As Matt travels
across the planet,
he reflects back
on his previous year's trip,
where the wave of a lifetime,
almost came true.
MATT: This huge wall of water
kind of just
grew out of the deep.
And everyone is paddling
up the face,
and I was sitting further out
and I was
in the perfect place for it.
And I swung my buoy
and I just thought,
"If I make this wave,
this is gonna be my ride,
"that I've been
dreaming about."
MATT: I popped to my feet
and this wind chop,
uh, hit me and caused me
to go into the air.
As I landed, my foot slipped,
and I landed
on the side of the board,
which sent my board
into a bit of a cutback.
And I just remember
thinking, like,
"Oh my gosh,
this is as bad as it can get."
'Cause I could, kind of, see
out of the corner of my eye,
30, 40 foot above me
that lip starting to fall.
And the lip landed
on the tail of my board.
Exploded me so hard.
And it just pushed me
so deep down under the water.
MATT: Everyone gets scared.
And big wave surfing
is so scary and terrifying.
But the thing is, I know
all of the big wave guys,
and everyone gets scared,
and that everyone finds a way
to deal with that fear
and that challenge, because
I really believe
that challenges that are...
The big challenges
are always scary.
But the bigger the challenge,
the more it's gonna help you
to grow if you can...
If you can lean
into that challenge
and go surf that wave.
For me, I will travel
across the whole world
for a swell to get
one life-changing wave.
That's always the goal
when I go to places.
It's not about getting
lots of fun, good waves.
It's about getting
that one wave
that's gonna change my life.
NARRATOR: Matt is relentlessly
chasing the wave of his life,
a journey
that began 20 years ago
at his home
at the bottom of the world.
MAN: There, boy.
Go big or go home.
MAN: Okay. See
what you can do.
I'll come...
I'm right after you.
MATT: So I am from
Cape Town, South Africa,
and I grew up about half an
hour away from the beach
and at about the age of six,
my dad would
take me down to the beach,
like, every second weekend
to surf the lot.
Learned
to surf waves at Muizenberg.
And then it wasn't
until the age of 12,
when we moved to a house
on the beach in Kommetjie.
And it's just surrounded by
big surf all around.
And right in front of my house
was a wave called Sunset Reef,
which is one of the best
big waves in the world.
And I'll come
back from school,
I'll look out, and
I see the guys
towing these
huge waves out there,
and I knew, like, one day,
I wanted to be involved with
that stuff, that, that action.
And the big winter swells
on the other side
of the bay,
you can see the plumes
of the explosions of water
going up the cliff,
off the Sentinel,
which is where Dungeons is.
And Dungeons is one of the
most feared waves in the
world.
NARRATOR: He would have to go
through the progression
that all big wave surfers
go through.
Lessons learned the hard way.
MATT: My first experience
of proper big waves
was absolutely terrifying.
I was sitting out there
in the lineup
and then the whole horizon
just went dark
and started to break.
I just started to feel
this fear coming over me.
So I just followed the crowd
and I was greeted
by my worst nightmare.
It's like 25 ft wall of water
breaking on my head.
I just find myself
overwhelmed with panic
and fear taking over me,
my adrenaline
going through the roof.
I couldn't breathe properly.
And I had to swim through
five of these,
like 25, 30-foot
walls of water.
And by the time
the ocean settled,
I was overwhelmed
with fear and panic,
and I was like,
I'm out of here.
And I actually started
paddling back towards the
channel
to the boats,
to get out the water.
NARRATOR: Shaken, demoralized,
wrapped up in fear
and about to call it quits,
the ocean offered up
a life changing gift.
MATT: That's when
something amazing happened.
I was a little bit wider
because I was paddling
on my way.
Another big set
broke over the crowd,
and I was
in the perfect spot
for this
big bomb of wave.
And something last minute
just told me to spin
and go and...
I remember turning my nose
towards the beach,
and being lifted up by this
what felt like a mountain.
And I looked over the edge,
and I took, like, two paddles
and dropped in and...
Just that feeling,
picking up, like, speed
I've never felt before,
and riding this
huge blue wall of water.
And I rode all the way
to the channel and pulled
out.
That was like
the biggest thrill of my life.
And I was like,
I want to do this thing.
I need to start
training for this,
I need to start
thinking about this,
and I think this is the
new course that I wanna take,
to be a big wave surfer.
NARRATOR:
Chasing the wave of his life,
Matt connects
with Torrey Meister,
a laid back North Shore local.
I've known Matt
for a really long time,
and he's, he's always
one of my favorite guys
to chase swells with.
NARRATOR:
The son of a Texas transplant,
Torrey is known for charging
Big Backdoor Pipeline
and following
in his father's footsteps.
There are opposites
who attract,
but are bound together
by the same passion.
TORREY: My dad
was the biggest influence,
as far as surfing goes.
I wanted to have
a surf partner,
with Torrey.
So it was very, very
important to me
to have my son be
that sort of partner.
And it's for this reason
I showed him the ropes.
TORREY: When he taught me
how to surf, I just became
completely hooked right away.
I mean, I have brief memories
of telling him
when I was five
or six years old,
like, "I want to be
a pro surfer,"
And he's always supported me,
like, since day one, you know.
He's like,
"You can do it."
"Just, you know,
enjoy and have fun."
"Do anything you want."
TORREY: The Cold Water Classic
was the, you know,
the most pivotal moment
in my surfing career for sure.
Event was really cool.
It's for uh,
unsponsored surfers.
So they invite 16 guys
from around the world.
And they pretty much
let them duke it out
for a sponsorship
with O'Neill.
And I ended up winning.
And it was a... It was
a really special moment for
me,
and it totally changed
my whole career.
NARRATOR:
Despite opening the door
to a traditional pro career,
Torrey found it unfulfilling,
and turned his eyes and
efforts
to being
a free surfing big wave
rider.
As the first swell
of the season shows up,
the vagaries of chasing waves
split up the duo.
Matt goes to Maui, desperate
to catch Jaws no matter what.
Torrey decides to stay
on the north shore of Oahu,
where he thinks conditions
will be more favorable.
At dawn,
Matt is greeted by
a disappointing sight
upon his arrival.
And looks to have
made the wrong call,
and won't be scoring.
But the misfire on Maui
is contrasted
with some magic on Oahu.
This particular swell,
while not massive,
hits the sweet spot,
and is perfect
for a challenging location.
A legitimately heavy wave,
if not a giant one,
called Haleiwa.
And Torrey scores,
along with an all-star cast
of some of the best surfers
on the planet.
TORREY: It's one of
the heaviest waves,
I think, in the world,
and I don't think
people really realize that
it will pound you
like a big wave.
So, it's a heavy wave.
And that day was
especially heavy and big
and...
NARRATOR: The power
and ferocity of the wave
allow for high
performance surfing
in a high risk environment,
at least for a select handful
of premier surfers.
Some of the best
were out there tearing it up.
TORREY:
It's great surfing, you know,
with that kind of level
out there in Haleiwa.
Those guys are like
all your friends and
they are obviously pushing.
Everyone's trying to get
the best wave out there.
I think that's
super healthy for the sport,
'cause it pushes
you as a surfer
and as an individual.
NARRATOR:
Also out that day,
was Kai Lenny,
arguably the best all around
big wave waterman in the
world.
Having grown up on Maui,
just down the street from
Jaws,
he left an indelible mark
on the big wave world
with a single turn,
an incredible airdrop,
at his backyard break.
In a normal season,
he relentlessly
travels the globe
in search of the biggest
waves he can find.
Pushing past fear,
and redefining what's
possible at places like
Nazare.
But this season,
he's tethered closer to home
'cause his wife is pregnant,
and the birth of his twins
is imminent,
he makes the most
of the Haleiwa session.
Matt is burned on Maui
and Torrey
is scoring on the North
Shore.
But for this winter season,
they've enlisted the help
of a liaison
to their surf forecaster,
Curtis Beck,
a surfer himself,
to be in the right place
at the right time.
He injects himself
into what needs to happen
next.
[CELL PHONE VIBRATING]
MATT: I got a
call from Curtis,
and he just gets you psyched
to go chase big waves.
You know, he's like,
"You won't believe it."
"The waves are..."
"are like 10 ft bigger."
You gotta get
to the airport now.
And I was like...
It's like sprinting up
the Jaws part. [LAUGHS]
I am a hype machine.
Where I'm a hype machine,
is trying to factor in
the odds
of where and when to be.
NARRATOR: There's an old
saying in the surf world.
"Never leave good waves."
With the help of
surf forecaster, Mark
Sponsler,
Curtis makes the high risk
call for Matt and Torrey,
to head to Mavericks
in Northern California.
It's against
conventional wisdom.
And with no other pro surfer
even thinking about
making the same call.
The call was made on
24 hours' notice.
Mavericks is
particularly fickle,
in the wind area,
in local winds.
and the local wind models
are not the best.
But when you get in like a 20,
36-24 hour window,
boom!
All of a sudden
for this one swell,
it just...
It just... The wind
was forecasted to disappear.
You had to be willing
to turn on the dime.
NARRATOR: It's late
in the afternoon
as Bromley heads
to the airport.
Torrey is just getting
out of the water.
If Sponsler's correct,
they need to get on a flight
that evening.
TORREY: You know,
I probably surf for,
two and a half,
three hours or so.
[PHONE VIBRATING]
I remember coming in and
I had like, I don't know,
20 missed calls and
40 text messages, [CHUCKLES]
from Curtis, like,
"We're going to Mavericks."
And I was like,
"What, we are?"
"Do you wanna go?"
I was like,
"Is it gonna be good?"
And he's like,
"Yeah, Mark, you know,"
says it's gonna be good.
"It looks like
it's gonna be."
So, I was like,
"Yeah, let's do this."
So I literally...
I think I booked my ticket,
hour and a half
before the flight.
I barely made the flight.
Luckily, I had boards and
everything there.
I just shoved everything
into my board bags
and,
and got on the plane.
NARRATOR: They expected to see
other surfers
on the red eye flight
to San Francisco,
just north of Mavericks.
No one else is.
MATT: But anyway,
everybody made it,
and we got to sleep
at like 02:00 in the morning.
NARRATOR: At first, it seemed
the naysayers were correct
and no swell is to be had.
And the mad dash and red eye
were a failed mission.
No one else from Hawaii
took Sponsler seriously.
And perhaps
the master forecaster,
got it wrong.
MATT: We got down
to Mavs in the morning
and they were
still really small,
and I was like, "Oh my gosh,
there's no sign of the swell."
Like, "Is it coming?"
TORREY: Man, it looks
flat out there.
In the back of my mind,
I was like,
I need a swell so bad.
It sucked in Jaws.
It's gonna suck here.
It wasn't that big.
NARRATOR:
Even though there's no surf,
Torrey gets prepared
by picking up his board.
Helping on
the board transfer is
Curt Meyers from
Power Lines Productions.
Along with
his partner, Eric Nelson,
they are not
a typical production company.
But they embody
the passion and commitment
of the wave
and surf lifestyle
in Half Moon Bay.
ERIC: So, long story short,
back in the day,
I started a tv show
a community access channel
called Powerlines, Surf
Spots.
Curt had been
a lifelong fan,
and he saw that the show
was getting stale.
So, I challenged him
to do his own show on
surfing.
Hey, are you gonna
takeover or what?
ERIC: He wants
to be the Terminator.
We have the Curt Myer's Show.
-Wrong.
-Gotta be on Powerlines.
-Curt...
-You can put yourself on,
you can put
all his buddies on,
you can put
all his little girlfriends on.
He'll be killing it, bro.
So we joined forces.
Power Lines Productions
essentially
was born on that...
Back in the day.
NARRATOR: With world class
production values,
with Eric shooting
from the cliff
and Curt from the water,
they never miss
a swell or a key ride.
And represent
the devotion to the spot,
which is the hallmark
of the devotees of Mavericks.
The fact is that
riding waves at Mavericks
can be traced to one man,
and an extraordinary story.
JEFF: Growing up,
here in Half Moon Bay,
every morning
I sat and ate breakfast
looking at the ocean.
And you could literally see
Mavericks off in the right,
and all the restructure
out in the whole bay.
Discovering Mavericks
was literally
from surfing as big a waves
that I could
around all the other reefs
until depths would pop
in the distance.
NARRATOR:
At just 17 years old,
Jeff's natural desire to push
his limits as a surfer,
led him to paddle out
at Mavericks,
by himself.
Not only did he successfully
surf that day, and many
after,
but no one else
would even attempt to surf it
for years.
JEFF: I went out there,
10 years
completely by myself.
NARRATOR: After flying
under the radar for years,
Mavericks would finally
introduce itself
to the world stage
in a cover story
in Surfer magazine
in the 1980s,
and would quickly gain
worldwide recognition.
Most famous surf spots
around the world,
are shall we say,
less than welcoming
to any
outside visiting surfers.
Despite its fame,
the community of Half Moon Bay
has managed
to keep Mavericks
a special place
for all surfers.
JEFF: One of the up and coming
kids in our community,
his approach to people was,
is "show up and be kind."
Get along with everybody
and be as welcoming
as you know?
And he was that guy.
But uh,
he was out surfing
and he kicked out
of a wave
and sat down
and the board collapsed,
and the lifeguards couldn't
get to him before he drowned.
That was his tag line.
So, community
basically kept it
and uh, try to live it.
Is that you?
-Yeah.
-You're a star, dog.
[LAUGHS]
-WOMAN: Wow.
-MATT: Thanks.
MATT: When you arrive at Mavs,
everyone on the jet skis
is greeting you
and they are like, "Go for
it." They encouraging.
You get into the lineup and,
and everyone is like cheering
each other on out there.
It's like this...
I guess
there's this, like,
big wave brotherhood
out there, and all that.
It's such a rad
vibe, out there.
I love surfing Mavericks.
NARRATOR: Despite
the unique history
and welcoming vibe,
Mavericks has a dark side.
Having taken the lives
of two professional
big wave surfers,
Mark Foo, in 1994,
and Sion Milosky in 2011.
And almost
the legendary,
Shane Dorian,
couple of years later,
after a vicious wipeout
and a two wave
hold down.
But for Matt and Torrey,
there are no such concerns,
as the swell they chased
is nowhere to be seen.
Suddenly the
ocean is stirring,
and it looks like they may
have made the right call,
after all.
Suddenly we saw this
big explosion, like,
"Oh, we gotta get out there."
[LAUGHS]
NARRATOR: While Matt and
Torrey have surfed here
before,
neither really has
the lay of the land.
[MATT SPEAKING]
MATT: Yeah. I mean, Torrey,
I don't even know
how many times he's surfed.
I think he surfed
Mavericks like twice.
So, I've surfed there twice.
So I was following him,
but he didn't really know
what he was doing.
TORREY: I haven't done
in, like, three years,
and I've only done it once.
So... [CHUCKLES]
And it was from the left.
But...
we'll find a way out.
This guy's from South Africa,
dude, he'll find a way out.
MATT: Then we paddle out
around the left, out at Mavs,
which is
quite a spectacular view,
because when you're
on the left,
you're looking directly
into the slab
and the left barrel's
coming towards you.
Just massive.
We got out there
at, like, one o'clock
and was just bombing.
Pristine glass,
like, no wind at all.
Perfect conditions.
TORREY: This swell was
a lot bigger
than I thought
it was gonna be.
When I surfed
Mavericks of that size,
my main focus is,
is that left
because I think there's just
so much potential there.
Now, you see, you know, no
human beings like us,
going out there
and pushing our hardest to,
you know, overcome our fears.
When you see someone
really just super passionate
and not letting fear
take over,
and just going at it,
you know, head down.
I think It's, uh,
it's a very motivating thing.
NARRATOR:
Despite going out with dreams
of a big left slab barrel,
the ocean has its way of
determining how things go
and Torrey ends up front side.
TORREY: I remember just
doubling up super hard,
like, right on the peak.
I just whipped it
really fast and went.
And I remember
just kind of airdropping,
like, "Oh, man,"
"this...this is uh..."
"This isn't good.
I better stick this time."
That was probably my best
wave, I ended up being right,
which is kind of funny, it's
like a nice airdrop
and ended up sticking it
and getting mowed down.
And getting [CHUCKLES]
pretty dang close to the
rocks
and on Mushroom Rock
on the inside
and all that area.
NARRATOR:
For Matt, in the past,
Mavericks has been
the best of times,
and the worst of times.
MATT: The last time
I was at Mavericks,
I had one of the best waves
I've ever had,
and I had
all this confidence.
And then,
I paddled into this wave
thinking, like, I've got this,
and the whole bottom
of the ocean
just seemed to fall away.
And I was just
pushed into the depths,
one of the worst
beatings of my life.
And that was the last wave
I had out at Mavericks.
And now going
back out there,
in the back of my mind,
I'm like,
"Hey, the waves are beautiful
and they look friendly."
But there's a chance that
you could have
the worst wipeout of your
life.
My approach is always
to sit a little bit outside
and try to get
the biggest wave of the day.
That's what
I'm out here to do.
This beautiful, big
peak came in
and it just looked incredible.
MATT:
When I was paddling into it,
I was looking down,
and it looked like it was
too critical,
and getting too steep.
But I just thought, like,
this is what I'm here for.
Just gotta send it.
I really believe that,
challenges that are...
The big challenges
are always scary.
But the bigger the challenge,
the more it's gonna
help you to grow.
Everyone has that fear
that's holding them back.
And you have to
face that fear.
All the feelings
of vulnerability,
the anxieties,
it's all part of it.
And unless you face that,
and move through it,
you're going to remain
in the smaller world.
But if you face it
and move through it,
then you're gonna experience
some of the best things,
and you're gonna grow
as a human being,
and you're going to be able
to surf that big wave.
That is your destiny.
MATT: It's so often,
I think on the other side
of that fear
is where we experience
our best moments.
NARRATOR: A year later,
Matt has pushed past
the memory
of his heavy wipeout,
and for a few minutes
he watches Torrey,
who is looking
for his dream wave.
Although Mavericks
is famous for its right,
the left represents
the next frontier of the wave.
And Torrey sets the standard
with a deep one.
TORREY: I got a few lefts
and then one left
in particular.
That was like I
got a barrel on.
It felt really, really fun.
NARRATOR:
After an amazing first ride,
Matt is feeling invincible
and ready for another bomb.
MATT: This wave came
and moved under the pack
'cause it was a big double up.
I just thought, like,
"I could do this"
and I put my head down.
And as I stood up at the top,
the bottom of the wave
just dropped too quickly,
and my board was,
was too long
and I nosedive and just,
like, flung, catapulted me
over the front of the board.
It's this
weird silence before,
like the chaos
is about to start
because you're just getting
pulled up and over in the
lip,
and then it took so long.
And then it was just the
impact was so gnarly, and so
strong
and just rattled
and pulled in all directions.
I ended up having to
pull my vest
because I was getting pushed
super deep under the water.
Came up
and my board was in two
pieces,
I was like, "No."
NARRATOR:
At most big wave spots,
the other surfers would smile
quietly to themselves
that a force in the lineup
has been sidelined.
But luckily for Matt,
Mavericks'
special spirit reveals itself
as local big wave legend,
Peter Mel,
who has ridden the biggest
and best barrel
in the spot's history,
offers to share
one of his backup boards.
MATT: The waves
are pumping still
and I've got a broken board.
So I went up to Pete
and he was on the jet ski,
watching his son
John, charging.
I'm like, "Pete, please,
I really need
this backup board."
Like, "Where is it?"
He's like, "Yeah, it's cool."
"It's in the...
It's in my van."
Like, "Here,
this is where the key is."
And so he raced in.
And thank you, Pete,
for bringing down the board.
[CHUCKLES]
Got the board, went back out
and got a few more waves.
TORREY: Such a nice day,
you know.
We had, like, probably
three or four hour window,
and then the wind
started whipping
and went straight on shore,
and it was done.
Definitely the best
big wave session
that I've had
this whole year by far.
Yeah, we called Curtis
right after and like,
"Dude, thank you
so much, man."
[LAUGHS]
NARRATOR: It may not
have been the biggest day
in Mavs' history,
but it was one of
the cleanest days
in a long time,
making the red-eye trip,
the right call.
72 hours,
after arriving in California,
the boys find themselves
heading straight
back to Hawaii.
And with Matt's time in Hawaii
starting to grow short,
he's heartened by the news
of a possible fresh swell,
but one surrounded by
question marks.
Such is the life
of a big wave surfer.
I've got like
a week left before
I have got to get
home to my family.
And this good looking
pulse of swell
is coming
for the weekend.
Everyone's saying it's gonna
be too small for Jaws.
It's gonna be too windy.
I knew that
if there was a chance
that Jaws would be going,
then I needed to be out there.
I needed to spend as much
time out at Jaws as possible.
And if there's
anything happening,
I've gotta be out there.
Matt was just frothing to go.
He's like, "I just... I'm
going to go, no matter what."
And I was like, "I don't know
if I'm going to go, man."
I think it's going to be bad.
I think it will be
windy and small.
And I was like, "Torrey,
I'm going to Jaws, bro.
"Just come with me.
Let's do it."
TORREY: And I was like,
"Well, all right,
"well, let's just do it."
I don't know. Who knows?
Maybe there'll be
a couple at Jaws.
Yeah, this looks...
It doesn't look like
there's any action, really.
When we arrived,
it looked like it was dead
flat.
And I was like,
"Oh my gosh, we have blown
it."
I was ready in my
inflation suit, ready to go.
There were no waves.
Somebody was on the cliff.
Had been there for a while.
He said
he hasn't seen any waves.
The swell
hasn't arrived.
NARRATOR:
Things don't look good.
But in a replay of Mavericks,
things suddenly
start to shift.
MATT: One of the really
cool things about Jaws is
when the...
When the sets approaches,
the lines stack up
from the horizon.
You just see,
looks like corduroy lines.
They like, stack up big
These lines just started,
like marching,
and they just unloaded
and, like
barreled across the reef.
Oh my gosh, it's on.
I was ready in my suit.
I just started
running down the cliff,
Torrey started
getting ready.
One of the most
terrifying things about Jaws
is the rock jump.
Uh, it's these boulders
down there, that are
getting rolled
by these surging waves.
There's a massive shore break
that's exploding on the rocks,
and you've got to
try to time it.
When there's no sets,
you've got to punch through
this shore break
and get into the deep water,
into the channel.
But if you time it wrong,
you're getting slammed
back on the rocks.
Got through the shore break
and I got out
into the lineup.
My strategy was, kind of,
to just wait
for one really good one.
Try not to sit too close in
because it felt like
there might be
a few bigger ones
breaking further out.
I looked over the edge,
and it was steep,
and I pulled back,
and I had about
four or five, I was like,
"Damn, should have gone
in that wave."
Like, "That was a good one."
Just kept pulling back.
And then I saw this wave.
I was like, "I'm going
on this thing, no matter
what."
As the wave picks me up,
I'm still with the thought...
I'm still trying to claw my
way down the wave face,
even though it's getting
more and more vertical.
I jumped up and went down.
And as I was going down,
I was just suddenly like,
"Wow, This wave is so windy,
and so choppy."
And I was like,
trying to balance
going over
these big wind chops.
At the same time, I was trying
to get my line going,
because the wave
is going down the line.
If the wave is running,
there's this big wall
ahead of me.
As I was bottom-turning,
I could see the lip
already starting to fall.
The only way I'm gonna make
this wave is to get under
the core.
And I just pumped up enough
under the roof of it,
and, then, I was, like,
in the bowl of this,
like, beautiful, big wave.
And then I came through
and down and made it
into the channel.
I was, like, "Phew."
Stoked. [LAUGHS]
Every now and then,
the sets would come in
from the west,
and I could see, like,
way down the line
up these big walls
wrapping into it,
where Torrey was,
and I could just see him
spinning and going.
TORREY: When Jaws is big
and windy, it's literally
almost impossible
to paddle into
a really big wave.
Got a couple of good waves,
and it was actually better
than I thought
it was going to be.
So that was really nice.
NARRATOR: The fabled Maui
winds start blowing even
harder,
and the wiser course of action
is to exit.
But Matt decides
he wants one more.
MATT: We had a few great
windy waves
out of, uh, Jaws.
I kind of... I felt like I
was really getting in the
zone.
And, then, I tried to send it
on a pretty big one
out the back.
And, as I was going down
the wave face,
the chops were just so
intense.
Just bucked me off my board
and I had, like,
a pretty gnarly beatdown.
I got up again
over the fall, sent deep,
I pulled my vest.
The water safety guy
we had organized,
he came in and got me.
NARRATOR: The wind-whipped
wipeout puts a period
on the Jaws session
for Matt and Torrey.
But, for Kai Lenny,
homebound on Maui
with his newborn twins,
it gives him a moment
to reflect on big wave riding
and, then, head out
and grab the tow rope
for a solo expression session.
KAI: I have so much
that I wanted to accomplish
in big waves,
and what better place
but in my backyard?
Really, the scariest thing
about riding a big wave,
and just as, as life is,
you know, it's fear
of the unknown.
In order to overcome fear,
you have to be able to face
it,
and there's just, really,
no other way to get around it.
But facing it is, oftentimes,
less scary
than just thinking about it,
or leading up to it.
Fear is, I think,
the emotion that gets
the worst rap.
But, at the same time,
it's the most powerful
emotion.
It's actually what helps you
survive and overcome.
'Cause it's not conscious,
in a way.
It's almost
a subconscious thing,
and it's about honing in
that fear
and channeling it
in the right direction.
You can let it eat you up,
or you can let it take you
to the highest of places.
When you're on the wave,
everything goes quiet.
You're at, probably,
in that moment,
the loudest place on earth.
Waves are exploding.
People are screaming
on the cliff.
All of sudden,
it's just pure quiet,
and it's this blissfulness.
NARRATOR: While Kai slips in
sessions between diaper duty
for Matt and Torrey,
it's another flight.
This time, back to Oahu,
where a new swell
promises to bring
what might be
the most dangerous wave
on Earth to life,
Pipeline.
One thing is for sure,
the vibe will not be
the welcoming community
at Mavericks,
or the nearly empty,
windblown lineup at Jaws.
Torrey enjoys
heavy local status
to help him get waves
in this cutthroat
competitive arena,
but Matt is gonna
have to play politics
to get his.
MATT: If you take
the wrong wave out there,
if you drop in
on the wrong person,
even looking at the wrong
wave, you can get beaten up.
You can get sent in.
NARRATOR: Pipeline may not
break the biggest,
but if you measure waves
in increments of fear,
it's at the top of the chain,
having claimed many lives
on the shallow lava reef.
I feel like in a wave like
Jaws, you can prepare
for the hold-down.
You're in deep water.
When that wave crashes
over you, it's pushing you
down into the depths,
which is most people's
worst nightmare.
But, if you're prepared
for that hold-down,
you're gonna survive it,
whereas, if you go to a wave
like Pipeline,
sure, it's, like,
a lot smaller,
but it's breaking
in extremely shallow,
uh, over shallow lava rock.
And you can do everything
in your control to be safe
and to try to catch
the right wave,
but that wave is slamming you
into the reef, if you're in
the wrong place.
There's so much energy
that's converging
into a very small area.
The reef is very uneven,
making the wave walk,
and refract,
and change
in different directions.
It's extremely unpredictable.
And, if you fall
in the wrong place,
that wave is driving you
so hard into the reef.
So no amount of preparation
can really help you to
be safer out there.
If you go on the wrong wave,
and it pushes you
into the reef,
you're gonna be
in serious trouble.
If you're going head first,
you can get knocked out
unconscious,
like, very, very easily.
Pipeline is definitely
the most dangerous wave
in the world.
And I feel just as much fear
out of Pipeline that I do
surfing a wave like Jaws.
NARRATOR: For Matt,
this is a uniquely
challenging spot,
dealing with a combination
of danger, and hunting
for a wave amongst the
locals.
MATT: It was a little bit
of an uphill battle,
again, in the crowd.
The waves were really good,
but it was a struggle
to get waves.
When you surf a wave
that's that intense,
time slows down.
All your senses come alive.
Everything is intensified
from when you're paddling
into the wave,
you're looking over the edge
and it's past vertical,
and you can see the water
sucking off the reef,
the bottom of the wave
drops away, and the,
and the top just curls over,
making this huge room
that you're inside of.
Only have, like,
two or three seconds
inside that chamber,
but it feels...
It's one of the best feelings
you can have
in the whole world.
NARRATOR: Looking for
a classic Pipe left,
battling the crowd,
and knowing the hungry reef
is waiting underneath,
Matt finds himself
dealing with some unusual
crosstown traffic.
As I was paddling,
I was shouting
all the crew off down the
line.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!
I'm going! I'm going!"
And it's really steep,
so you, kind of,
have to be focused
on, like, on your take off.
But, out the corner
of my eye, I could see
this bodyboarder.
He was looking very interested
in my wave.
As I'm dropping in,
I see out the corner
of my eye, he's going.
And I was, like, "Whoa!"
I shouted, "Whoa, whoa!"
I pulled up into this
big barrel behind him.
He, like, almost aired over
me, and I, I rode through
his foam trail
and, then,
was in this beautiful,
big barrel.
And he was riding
in front of it,
just in front of me.
I shot out of the barrel
and he was trying
to turn off the wave.
I don't think
he'd even seen me.
I was, like, "Oh, at least
we both made the wave.
We were safe."
And, then,
some of the photographers,
they were, like,
"Hey, dude,
that was so dangerous, man."
And, then, they sent him in.
[CHUCKLING] So, on my behalf,
he got sent in.
NARRATOR: While localism
has its downsides,
sometimes, harsh crowd control
also provides safety
in life-threatening
situations.
[UPBEAT INSTRUMENTAL
ROCK MUSIC]
TORREY: Pipeline's the left,
Backdoor's the right.
And, my whole life,
I've always been obsessed
with Backdoor.
It depends on who you ask.
A lot of people will tell you
it's sketchier than Pipe.
Maybe not as perfect.
For me, I would say,
it's more of a challenge.
I don't know if I'd call
myself a heavy local.
I think I just...
I'm super passionate
about the wave that I want.
I think the wave that I want
is this really big,
doubled-up thing
that doesn't look like
the best wave,
and, as soon as
you second-guess it,
it's, kind of, gone.
Consistently being good,
day after day,
I would say, this is
one of the best years
I've seen in the Pipeline.
It was really nice
to travel with Bromley.
That was definitely one
of my highlights of the year,
was going on some surf trips
with him,
and just have some good times
with him, and get him hooked
on country music, you know?
I appreciate that. [LAUGHS]
[UPBEAT MUSIC]
All we listened to, all day,
everyday in his car
was Western music,
and I don't really like
Western music. [LAUGHS]
Torrey is one of the most
polite and humble surfers that
I know.
He's such a nice guy.
And one of the reasons
why I just love cruising
with him, we get on super
well.
Chasing the swell together
was the first time we, like,
properly connected,
and got to hang out, like,
day after day.
And he's such a legend
and he's an incredible
surfer.
NARRATOR: For Matt, it was
time to head back home
to his family in South Africa.
MATT: I can't wait
to get home to my baby
and to my wife, and
yeah, reset and get ready
for the next swell.
[DRAMATIC ROCK MUSIC]
NARRATOR: At Pipeline,
one of the locals
who usually gets the waves
he wants, is Makua Rothman,
who grew up on
the North Shore.
But where he really made
his mark is back at Jaws
on Maui,
having launched his career
in 2003 as a 17-year-old,
winning the XXL Big Wave
awards with a 66-foot ride.
And then, last year,
topping that
by getting towed into
one of the largest waves
ever ridden.
Some say the face
approached 100 feet,
though he's not claiming it,
and only says,
"Let the ride and wave
speak for themselves."
This season,
while certainly not
hanging up his trunks,
Makua decided to run
for City Council
and put his focus on
politics.
But he's also about
keeping the spirit of Aloha
alive globally,
which led him
to an extraordinary
surf session
about as far away
as you can get from big waves.
[UPBEAT ROCK MUSIC]
A wave pool in Austin, Texas,
sharing the stoke
with two champions
of other sports.
MAKUA: Honestly,
when I surf here
and I catch a wave,
I don't think
that I am in a pool
in the middle of Waco, Texas.
I'm on a wave surfing,
regardless of what it is.
And, you know, technology
has, you know, given all of us
the ability to surf, you know,
anywhere on Planet Earth now.
Once you get on that wave,
you're not thinking
you're in a pool, right?
You're on a wave
getting barreled.
It's like you're at Uluwatu
or whatever.
-I think, it's also the people
you're around as well.
-MAKUA: Yes.
Yeah, the camaraderie,
like, the, the group
you bring to the pool, as
well.
-Yes.
-You know,
people you've come with.
The, the, the,
you know, you've always
gotta surround yourself
with good people.
NARRATOR: Makua threw down
a super fun session
at BSR's wave pool
with none other
than Formula One
seven-time world champion,
Lewis Hamilton,
and four-time Supercross
motocross title holder,
Dylan Ferrandis,
a fun break from politics
and the even harsher realities
of big waves.
MAKUA: Oh, Lewis
was charging today.
He was, uh, stepping it up
to the next level.
They both were.
[CAPTIVATING
INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC]
It doesn't matter what I did
in this pool.
Like, I could have done
a move I've never done before,
and it wouldn't make me
as happy as watching
you two guys
come out of the barrel
with your hands up,
"Yeah!"
Like, that's what makes me
feel good.
That's the kind of stuff
that I really enjoy
about surfing,
because I know that surfing
can bring the world together.
[MAKUA CHEERING]
[HOOTING]
[INSTRUMENTAL ROCK MUSIC]
NARRATOR: While
the North Shore pumps,
Bianca Valenti charges
an outer reef.
She is among the elite
of the growing number
of women worldwide
taking on big waves,
joining the ranks of the
likes of Keala Kennelly,
who has never found a drop
she won't attempt,
and Justine Dupont,
who made history
at Jaws last winter
with an epic barrel.
But her home break
is the fabled
and feared Mavericks.
An extension of the embracing
nature of Mavericks
is how women have become
accepted in the lineup.
It wasn't always this way,
going back to the pioneering
female surfer, Sarah
Gerhardt,
the first female
to charge the wave.
I was born in LA
and, then, grew up
in Dana Point.
Learned how to surf
at Doheny Beach there
when I was seven.
Then, I got into big waves
at UC Santa Barbara.
I decided I wanted to live
in San Francisco
after I graduated.
[PEOPLE EXCLAIMING
AND CHEERING]
Started surfing Mavericks.
The first time I surfed,
it was in 2012.
[INSTRUMENTAL ROCK MUSIC]
Every single time,
there's a really special day
out there.
I want to be out there.
I want to be fully present,
fully ready,
because every single second,
every single wave,
every single session out
there,
it's so amazing, and
different, and special.
You know, you have
these experiences
where you see your life
flash before your eyes.
It's an amazing place
where you can learn
a lot about yourself.
Mavericks Surf Awards
was a super fun event.
I think, like, 300 or 400
people showed up at Old
Princeton Landing the other
night.
There was just a lot of love,
and it's so nice
to come together
with community,
in celebration of the wave,
because it is
such a special place.
There were
three men's categories,
three women's categories,
equal prize money.
Winning three awards,
actually, yeah, that was
pretty cool to get, you know,
acknowledgement for all that
hard work.
NARRATOR: Today,
Bianca finds herself
in the lineup,
having earned the ultimate
compliment, respect.
And she gets her waves
and has built a life and
career
as a pioneering female
big wave surfer.
BIANCA: So awesome,
this season, seeing more women
in the water,
especially in Hawaii,
and here, too,
and to have the guys
cheering us on so much.
It's been fun
to be a part of this,
this movement that really has
so much momentum right now.
[UPBEAT INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC]
NARRATOR: With his surf buddy,
Matt Bromley, gone,
and the waves looking flat,
Torrey has another way
to get his required dose
of adrenaline
outside of the ocean.
TORREY: Something that I do
on the side to, kind of,
get the adrenaline rush
is pit bull riding.
My whole family's
from Texas, so,
I don't know, I kind of grew
up watching the PBR
and been super in love with,
you know, country music
and the western way of life.
NARRATOR: Surfing
and big wave riding
may be part of the fabric
of Hawaii,
but it also has 150 years
of history of Hawaiian
cowboys.
They call them paniolos.
They have, like,
a really cool rodeo scene
over here in Hawaii.
For me, I think, it's kind of
the coolest,
the best of both worlds,
'cause you got, you know,
some of the best surf
in the world,
and, then, you can go get on
some horses and bulls, too.
So it's really special
that we have that in Hawaii.
You get that full, like,
Aloha Hawaiian spirit as
well,
with, like, the cowboy spirit,
too, you know, kind of mixed
in with these guys.
[DRAMATIC GUITAR MUSIC]
Getting on a bull
is completely out of
my element, you know.
It's, it's the scariest thing
ever to me.
It's a little bit different
than big wave surfing,
you know?
When you're out in the water,
then you can
kind of choose
to go on the wave or not.
When you're on the bull,
you know, you're committed.
Obviously, I know a lot more
about riding a wave than I do
about riding a bull.
So, yeah, I'm pretty quiet
when I,
when I'm, you know,
getting in the chute.
NARRATOR: On a rainy night
on the North Shore,
Torrey tests himself
against 1,500-pound
angry bulls.
MAN 1: Stay. Hold on.
-[BELL DINGING]
-[CLANGING]
MAN 2: Stay with him.
Drop your legs.
Drop your legs.
-MAN 1: You okay?
-TORREY: Yeah.
TORREY: You know, feeling
the power of that bull
when you're getting on it.
And, like,
you're in the chute, and...
When you nod your head to go,
and you don't really know
what's gonna happen,
it's kind of the greatest
feeling ever for me.
And, um,
I became super attracted
to that feeling.
-[GATE CREAKING]
-[BULL BELLOWING]
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
[CLANGING]
MAN 1: Yeah, don't do that.
Yeah, drop your legs.
[INDISTINCT SHOUTING]
[BULL BELLOWING]
TORREY: Throughout
the evening,
Torrey chooses to nod his head
five times.
He may not have ridden
the fabled eight seconds,
but faced another
side of fear, then,
ended the night unscathed,
and with as big a smile
on his face as a killer
big wave surf session.
The winter is winding down,
but forecaster Mark Sponsler
sees something very
interesting pop up.
Not for Hawaii, but over
on the North Atlantic
and aimed at Nazare, Portugal.
It's good news
for big wave-hungry
Nic Von Rupp,
but also nerve-wracking
as he's still recovering
from an early season injury.
It's the end of the season.
I bruised my ribs really hard.
And I was supposed to be
out of the water for a while,
you know?
Like, I was... I thought
that was it. But, then,
this swell popped up.
That swell at Nazare,
a lot of it was the north
angle and the
intensity of the storm,
and the duration of it.
All that just radiating
and focusing
right on Nazare.
NARRATOR: The swell
is particularly ominous,
and Sponsler is calling
for something
that could be historic.
Going against
his doctor's advice,
Nic goes into
full-preparation mode
the day before the swell.
NIC: Surfing big waves
is an emotional roller
coaster, you know?
Like, obviously,
like, when the swell pops up,
there's excitement, you know?
Like, "Oh, my God,
it's gonna happen."
Then, the media
start hyping it up, like,
"It's the biggest swell ever!"
And, then,
fear starts kicking in.
And you're, like,
"Oh, my God,
the biggest swell ever?"
I mean, I've already seen it,
the biggest ever,
and it was scary, you know?
Like, how can I imagine
it bigger?
Like, everything
starts kicking in, you know?
And, then, obviously, you,
like, calm down.
You start focusing,
preparing, start calling up
your team.
NARRATOR: The safety team
meeting takes place
in the harbor.
There is no margin for error.
On days like this, when it's,
when it's supposed to be
absolutely huge...
Like, we had a huge swell
on January 8th.
It was really big
and everything went wrong.
So, this swell, it was
supposed to be even bigger,
and we doubled up on safety.
So instead of everyone doing
their own kind of little,
uh...
tow teams, you know,
of three people,
we create a huge
10-people team, you know?
It's really a team effort.
Everyone needs
to be synchronized,
committed, focused.
There's no room for mistakes,
you know?
It's just, like, mistakes,
is ending up on the rocks.
NARRATOR: The dangers
of Nazare are real.
From being smashed
in the rocks
to crushed in the pounding
shore break,
it's easy for things
to go very wrong
with real consequences.
NIC: The special thing
about Nazare is its canyon,
you know?
It's, it's unique.
It's like a world wonder.
It's one of the deepest
canyons in the world, and the
way you can compare it,
is to the Grand Canyon.
Basically, it just catches
the swell in the middle
of the ocean.
So the swell's coming in
from the Atlantic.
And what it does,
all that energy
just compresses
to the depth of that canyon,
and just shoots up
with all its strength
straight at the
beach, you know?
And, and, then, when it hits
that shallow part,
the wave just, like,
[MIMICS EXPLOSION]
stands up, you know?
And that's how you get
that mountain of water,
you know?
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
[MUSIC STOPS]
[SLOW INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC]
We've been talking
since 6, 6:30 a.m.
with the team
and...
Lucas said it's huge.
[DISHES CLATTERING]
-Windy.
-[MAN CHUCKLING]
And clean.
-Let's wait.
-[MAN CHUCKLING]
I don't know, we might see
that first 100 ft wave,
we might not.
NIC: There was definitely
a hiccup in the morning.
I mean, I figured out
my vest had a hole.
[CHUCKLES]
And you don't want your vest
that saves your life,
to have a hole, to be leaking,
you know?
You don't wanna be
thinking about that,
you know?
Like, you wanna to be
100% focused
and be trusting
your equipment.
My vest had a hole,
someone took my fins...
and, all of a sudden,
I'm just, like, "Yo, no."
I wasn't under control
of the whole situation,
you know?
And when you're putting
your life at risk like that,
you want to be 100% in
control.
NARRATOR: A variety of big
wave surfers have arrived
from across the globe
to challenge the waves,
including Brazilian charger
Michaela Fregonese,
whose young son
waits nervously back home.
He's scared, you know?
He scared to lose me,
that's why.
Because do you know
how danger is, so...
MAN: Wait a second.
This is dangerous?
[LAUGHING] Oh, yeah!
Super dangerous. Yeah.
I don't rush because I know...
anyway, that God
is gonna be, like...
my best wave.
Like, the biggest wave
of my life, for sure, today.
I was praying not only for me,
but for all.
For all the people here.
Because, if nobody hurts,
you feeling more confident,
you know?
If you were hurt...
[CLICKS TONGUE]
It's scary, you know?
If nobody hurt,
everybody happy,
everybody get the bomb,
everything's gonna be okay.
So I pray for everyone
here today.
NARRATOR: One of the surfers
here is Vini Dos Santos,
32, from Brazil.
He's famed for catching
one of the biggest
paddle-in waves at Nazare.
But now he's determined
to make his mark
by picking up the rope
and hunting down a monster,
and making his mark
on the global stage.
NIC: You know, I had
some issues in the morning.
The vest, the fins.
But, you know, like,
we're cowboys
at the end of the day
and we just make it happen,
you know?
Like, so my buddy
lended me a vest,
my buddy lended me some fins.
-That one is gonna be
a buoy?
-That one's gonna be, uh...
-Okay, who's gonna go
on that one?
-The... the other guy...
For me, what really matters
is the team spirit
and, obviously, commitment.
You wanna be out
there all day.
You want to catch...
You want to surf big waves.
You want to make
the most of this.
Go prepare. [CHUCKLES]
NIC: When I get on my jet ski,
it's... That's when I, like,
feel connected.
It's like an extension
of my body, you know?
I can... I just feel
that adrenaline.
It's like going to war,
you know? It's preparing,
like, going to war.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
NARRATOR: When the surf
comes into their sights,
Sponsler's forecast
is proven accurate.
It's big.
The only question is,
is it historically big?
NIC: Big wave surfing
really relates to the daily
activity of anyone.
Everyone has dreams.
Everyone is afraid
of the dreams.
And a lot of people
are not able to achieve
their dreams because of fear,
gets in the middle of it.
It's exactly the same way,
big wave surfing.
I have the dream.
I have the dream of surfing
the biggest wave of my life.
I'm afraid of it,
of what can happen.
My boyfriend,
Nick Von Rupp, he's a surfer,
a big wave surfer.
I just have to keep believing
that everything
will be fine, because...
[INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER]
...this is a matter
of life and death.
NIC: The first wave,
it was so choppy.
I was going so fast
and through those bumps,
and I felt like my board
was skidding out.
You know, having that feeling
of not being in control
and, all of a sudden,
you feel your fin
sliding sideways,
and you're holding on.
Like, it gives you
that snowboard feeling.
You know where you're, like,
trying to, like, use your
edges instead of your fins.
That's what it felt like.
I'm like, "Oh, my God!
I'm gonna eat shit right now."
[OMINOUS MUSIC]
I went flying down, like,
both arms, trying to penetrate
through the water,
thinking I'm gonna
pull through, you know,
and swim on the other side.
At one moment, I
think I got it.
And, then, the thing
just takes me down and
explodes.
Lucas comes up to pick me up.
NARRATOR: The wipeout
was bad enough...
then, things get worse.
A second wave appears.
It takes duck-diving
a 900-pound Jet Ski
with Nic holding on
with one good arm
to escape the maelstrom.
Oh, my God, that's not
how I wanna start the day,
you know?
[INSPIRATIONAL ROCK MUSIC]
I felt something was wrong,
you know?
But, with the adrenaline,
you don't feel it, you know?
You know, it was...
You know, I had to take
a little break
and, then, all of a sudden,
my arm started hurting.
Like, I couldn't even hold on
to the Jet Ski.
But I was, like,
"This is my day.
"This is, like...
I can't give up right now,"
you know?
NARRATOR: Undaunted
by Nic's injury
and the vibe change
in the water,
Michaela finds the
opportunity to get the ride
of her life.
With a solid one
under her belt,
Michaela heads back out
and catches what is, arguably,
one of the biggest waves
ever ridden by a woman.
MICHAELA: That's the best
feeling ever.
When you do what you love,
no one get hurt, nothing,
it's so amazing.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
NARRATOR: As with any
big wave session,
there was sure to be carnage.
Also cashing in his chips
at the pain window
is Vini Dos Santos, where
things go wrong
on a big one,
things go wrong in a big way.
[OMINOUS MUSIC]
The ski tries to reach him
to get him to safety,
but another wave rolls in,
and he's left helpless
and beaten up
in the impact zone.
In unprecedented fashion,
the pressure of the wave
has popped his inflation vest
and the metal canister
gets ripped out
and starts hitting him
on the head.
Barely conscious,
the ski driver races him
to the beach.
After the intense hold-down,
Vini is administered oxygen
on the beach.
It is thanks
to the well-prepped
safety team
that Vini is okay
after a relentless wipeout.
While on the stretcher,
he talks about a giant wave
he caught earlier.
Later, looking at the
footage, it reveals
something extraordinary.
It appears he might have
ridden a record-setting wave,
perhaps the 100-foot wave.
The measuring of waves
is as much art as science.
One oceanographer later
pegged this wave at 97.5 feet.
Variables as to where the top
and bottom of the wave are,
the fact that the wave
flattened out as he surfed
to his right,
and the incalculable
distortion from the lens,
leave the measurement
in the eye of the beholder.
History might have been made
by Vini
but, out in the lineup,
Nic rallies to catch one more,
despite bruised ribs,
and literally having
only one arm with any
strength.
NIC: It's stupid.
Like, my body
is telling me to stop.
My... my ribs
are almost broken.
My arm is, like, I don't know
what I have in my arm,
but it's, like,
I can't move it.
My body is telling me to stop.
Like, you know,
life gives you signs.
Your body gives you signs
when it's enough and...
But I just thought, like,
whatever, you know?
Like, let's just go again.
[INSPIRATIONAL MUSIC]
And I'm getting, like,
a first peaker,
like, really intense,
where I, like, dropped down.
I ran in front of the cliff,
and the thing just stood up
really tall.
Just magic, you know?
Like, the wave was so clean,
so big.
I faded deep.
I had that feeling
that I wanted, you know?
Like, in 100% control.
You know, like, riding as deep
as I can, pushing my limits,
but in control, you know?
I was writing the waves
the way I wanted.
[PEOPLE CHEERING]
We made it!
Guys, thank you so much
for your approach,
for your confidence in my job.
NIC: For me, like,
it was a successful day
not because I rode
the biggest waves of my life.
For me, it was a successful
day because we are back
in one piece.
My ribs are hurting.
My shoulders are hurting.
Like, I can't even lift my arm
more than this, it feels like.
And I still caught,
like, three waves.
My best waves.
Like, I couldn't move my arm.
So, for me, it was, like, a...
a real effort of,
kind of like, pushing my
limits
and pushing my boundaries
and the commitment, you know?
Like, that's the most
important for me.
Oh, I got five waves. Five.
Four right, and one left.
Yeah, today was the biggest
wave I ever surf in my life,
for sure.
NIC: You always feel like
you could have done better,
you know?
I'm never satisfied.
Like, I'm very driven.
I always wanna do better.
I always wanna progress.
Not for others,
but for myself.
Like that's what I'm made of,
you know?
Like, that's what kept me
in the game. That's what
kept me progressing.
We're still scratching
the surface on what...
what's doable
and what's big out in Nazare.
So, I mean, let's see
what's gonna happen
the next five years.
Let's see what's gonna happen
the next 10 years.
Eventually it's gonna be,
you know, over 100-foot.
Let's see what's gonna happen,
you know?
And I hope
I'll still be here to...
to see it, you know?
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
NARRATOR: At the end
of the day, they paddled out.
Some dreams are realized
and some are not.
For those watching,
for those riding,
the lesson remains the same...
pushing limits and facing
fears leads to progression,
leads to growth...
leads to what is next.
The Northern Hemisphere
will go dormant.
These men and women will wait.
The waves will return.
They will test
themselves again.
And we all will be inspired
by their example
to face our fears
and push into and past
the fear of the unknown
in our own lives...
to the other side of fear.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC ENDS]
[INSTRUMENTAL ROCK MUSIC]
[WAVES SPLASHING]
[DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING]
NARRATOR:
The logical thing,
the sane thing,
is to stay on shore.
[INTENSE MUSIC PLAYING]
But they paddle out.
Now,
it's easy to understand
the fun side of surfing.
Grown men and women frolicking
in the gentle waves of summer.
But then,
there are the others.
What are we to make of it?
NARRATOR:
In the face of an unfeeling,
unthinking, uncaring force,
they choose to put
themselves in harm's way.
It's easy
to dismiss them as crazy,
mindless daredevils
without a cause.
But yet we are transfixed.
Why are we drawn to it,
when we can't see the meaning
amid the maelstrom?
Why are we thrilled to
a dance surrounded
by violence?
NIC: Everyone has dreams.
Everyone is
afraid of the dreams
and a lot of people
are not able
to achieve their dreams
because of fear
gets in the middle of it.
Facing fear in the eyes,
and really
overcoming that fear...
MATT: The big challenges
are always scary.
But the bigger the challenge,
the more
it's going to help you to
grow.
Whatever walk of life
you are from,
you have your challenges
and your big waves to surf.
Everyone has that fear
that that's holding them
back,
and you have to
face that fear.
NARRATOR: If fear
held us back,
would there be
a landing on the moon?
Would there be miraculous
life-saving vaccines?
Would we have tamed fire?
And would we discover
the unimaginable
but inevitable next?
The answer is...
They don't stay on land.
They paddle out.
Maybe the way to understand,
to make paddling out part of
all our lives,
is to follow as a half dozen
of the best big wave surfers
in the world
live their lives
through a big wave winter
around the globe.
It's the season
when the North Pacific
and the North Atlantic
pump out massive waves
generated by massive storms.
Perhaps the answer,
the inspiration
and maybe even the meaning
will reveal itself.
We start off our journey
in Nazare, Portugal,
an ancient fishing village
that has emerged
as the epicenter of
big wave surfing
in the last 10 years.
It's rooted in an age old
seafaring country
where exploration
and leaving the shore
are part of the national DNA.
NIC: That sailing,
that ocean culture
of the early explorations
of Portugal
is really reflecting back,
here in Nazare,
you know, like a man at sea.
You know, a more evolved,
more technological...
We're exploring the world
through the waves,
and we are raising
the flag of Portugal
through our wave surfing,
you know.
NARRATOR: For Nic Von Rupp,
he discovered
his passion for big waves
while competing
in small ones.
Winning contests
wasn't enough of a reward
as he battled
on the pro circuit.
He thirsted
for a bigger challenge.
Literally.
Like, I was being successful,
my sponsors were backing me,
like, financially was the best
year of my life and...
But it was really like,
I was like,
"Yeah, I want to be happy,"
you know, like,
I want to do what
I want to do.
And that was it.
I told my sponsors. I'm like,
"Guys, I'm gonna focus
on big wave surfing."
NARRATOR: Despite success
in competition,
knowing better big waves
were breaking elsewhere,
was too much for him.
He gave up one possible
career, but found another
one,
in life threatening,
but uniquely
rewarding big surf.
Carrying on
the Portuguese tradition
of taking on the sea.
Nazare embodies,
the essence of this history.
Where legend has it,
a hunter was saved
on a cliff's edge by a saint,
infusing the seaside town,
with a deep religious
overlay,
including a church,
originally founded
in the 14th century.
[BIANCA SPEAKING]
NARRATOR:
In more recent times,
the fishing village was known
for tragic widows
and special dresses
telling the story of
lost husbands at sea.
[BIANCA SPEAKING]
NARRATOR:
But the same wave that
caused tragedy
for the fisherman,
is the siren
for today's pilgrims.
The surfing story of Nazare,
starts with one man,
a struggling
Hawaiian big wave surfer,
Garrett McNamara,
who stumbled on Nazare
back in 2012.
NIC: We really needed
someone experienced.
Uh, like Garrett, you know,
at the time,
he must have been 40 already,
like, had tons of experience
coming from Hawaii.
Hawaii, was, and is
the epicenter
when it comes down
to technologies
of big wave surfing
and knowledge,
and safety,
and so on.
So bringing all that
knowledge to Portugal,
has really revolutionized
this place, you know.
NIC: This town here,
this used to be a...
Sorry to say, and I don't
mean to offend
anyone here in Nazare,
but this used to be like...
Ten years ago, used to be a
shitty town.
Everyone was broke.
Middle of a crisis.
Restaurants were closed.
NARRATOR:
In the interim decade,
things have changed.
NIC: If you walk
through the town,
restaurants are full,
people are drinking beers
on the streets,
you know,
like, everyone's happy,
everyone is making a living.
[SINGING IN PORTUGUESE]
[BELL DINGING]
[SINGING CONTINUES]
Big wave,
Nazare.
NIC: There's people
flying from
all over the world
to come see this place.
And the truth is,
the best place
to see big waves
is, is here.
NARRATOR: What draws surfers
from nations around the world
is not just the size,
but the incredible,
unmatched consistency
of the giant surf in Nazare.
Making it perhaps
the best stage on the planet
for facing fears
and pushing boundaries.
It's still a
matter of patience
waiting for
the truly epic days.
And while Nazare
waits for these
mega swells to arrive,
this winter, the other side
of the big wave world
stirs to life.
The swell is
forecasted to hit Peahi,
otherwise known as Jaws
on the north shore of Maui.
For tourists,
it's delicious idyll.
But to others,
it's the ultimate test
for a big wave surfer.
Among them, drawn to
the paddling in style at Jaws,
over the jet ski assisted
towing approach at Nazare,
is South African,
Matt Bromley.
MATT: Hawaii looked like
it was going
into a really good pattern.
And it looked like
there was some big storms
heading to Jaws.
MATT: I kind of gave myself,
like,
I am going to stay in Hawaii
for a month,
away from my family.
This is my period to get
big waves at Jaws.
In La Nina years,
the motto is,
if there is anything, you
better go and you rearrange
your life
to chase those swells
when they are there.
'Cause there might not be
another one behind it.
NARRATOR: As Matt travels
across the planet,
he reflects back
on his previous year's trip,
where the wave of a lifetime,
almost came true.
MATT: This huge wall of water
kind of just
grew out of the deep.
And everyone is paddling
up the face,
and I was sitting further out
and I was
in the perfect place for it.
And I swung my buoy
and I just thought,
"If I make this wave,
this is gonna be my ride,
"that I've been
dreaming about."
MATT: I popped to my feet
and this wind chop,
uh, hit me and caused me
to go into the air.
As I landed, my foot slipped,
and I landed
on the side of the board,
which sent my board
into a bit of a cutback.
And I just remember
thinking, like,
"Oh my gosh,
this is as bad as it can get."
'Cause I could, kind of, see
out of the corner of my eye,
30, 40 foot above me
that lip starting to fall.
And the lip landed
on the tail of my board.
Exploded me so hard.
And it just pushed me
so deep down under the water.
MATT: Everyone gets scared.
And big wave surfing
is so scary and terrifying.
But the thing is, I know
all of the big wave guys,
and everyone gets scared,
and that everyone finds a way
to deal with that fear
and that challenge, because
I really believe
that challenges that are...
The big challenges
are always scary.
But the bigger the challenge,
the more it's gonna help you
to grow if you can...
If you can lean
into that challenge
and go surf that wave.
For me, I will travel
across the whole world
for a swell to get
one life-changing wave.
That's always the goal
when I go to places.
It's not about getting
lots of fun, good waves.
It's about getting
that one wave
that's gonna change my life.
NARRATOR: Matt is relentlessly
chasing the wave of his life,
a journey
that began 20 years ago
at his home
at the bottom of the world.
MAN: There, boy.
Go big or go home.
MAN: Okay. See
what you can do.
I'll come...
I'm right after you.
MATT: So I am from
Cape Town, South Africa,
and I grew up about half an
hour away from the beach
and at about the age of six,
my dad would
take me down to the beach,
like, every second weekend
to surf the lot.
Learned
to surf waves at Muizenberg.
And then it wasn't
until the age of 12,
when we moved to a house
on the beach in Kommetjie.
And it's just surrounded by
big surf all around.
And right in front of my house
was a wave called Sunset Reef,
which is one of the best
big waves in the world.
And I'll come
back from school,
I'll look out, and
I see the guys
towing these
huge waves out there,
and I knew, like, one day,
I wanted to be involved with
that stuff, that, that action.
And the big winter swells
on the other side
of the bay,
you can see the plumes
of the explosions of water
going up the cliff,
off the Sentinel,
which is where Dungeons is.
And Dungeons is one of the
most feared waves in the
world.
NARRATOR: He would have to go
through the progression
that all big wave surfers
go through.
Lessons learned the hard way.
MATT: My first experience
of proper big waves
was absolutely terrifying.
I was sitting out there
in the lineup
and then the whole horizon
just went dark
and started to break.
I just started to feel
this fear coming over me.
So I just followed the crowd
and I was greeted
by my worst nightmare.
It's like 25 ft wall of water
breaking on my head.
I just find myself
overwhelmed with panic
and fear taking over me,
my adrenaline
going through the roof.
I couldn't breathe properly.
And I had to swim through
five of these,
like 25, 30-foot
walls of water.
And by the time
the ocean settled,
I was overwhelmed
with fear and panic,
and I was like,
I'm out of here.
And I actually started
paddling back towards the
channel
to the boats,
to get out the water.
NARRATOR: Shaken, demoralized,
wrapped up in fear
and about to call it quits,
the ocean offered up
a life changing gift.
MATT: That's when
something amazing happened.
I was a little bit wider
because I was paddling
on my way.
Another big set
broke over the crowd,
and I was
in the perfect spot
for this
big bomb of wave.
And something last minute
just told me to spin
and go and...
I remember turning my nose
towards the beach,
and being lifted up by this
what felt like a mountain.
And I looked over the edge,
and I took, like, two paddles
and dropped in and...
Just that feeling,
picking up, like, speed
I've never felt before,
and riding this
huge blue wall of water.
And I rode all the way
to the channel and pulled
out.
That was like
the biggest thrill of my life.
And I was like,
I want to do this thing.
I need to start
training for this,
I need to start
thinking about this,
and I think this is the
new course that I wanna take,
to be a big wave surfer.
NARRATOR:
Chasing the wave of his life,
Matt connects
with Torrey Meister,
a laid back North Shore local.
I've known Matt
for a really long time,
and he's, he's always
one of my favorite guys
to chase swells with.
NARRATOR:
The son of a Texas transplant,
Torrey is known for charging
Big Backdoor Pipeline
and following
in his father's footsteps.
There are opposites
who attract,
but are bound together
by the same passion.
TORREY: My dad
was the biggest influence,
as far as surfing goes.
I wanted to have
a surf partner,
with Torrey.
So it was very, very
important to me
to have my son be
that sort of partner.
And it's for this reason
I showed him the ropes.
TORREY: When he taught me
how to surf, I just became
completely hooked right away.
I mean, I have brief memories
of telling him
when I was five
or six years old,
like, "I want to be
a pro surfer,"
And he's always supported me,
like, since day one, you know.
He's like,
"You can do it."
"Just, you know,
enjoy and have fun."
"Do anything you want."
TORREY: The Cold Water Classic
was the, you know,
the most pivotal moment
in my surfing career for sure.
Event was really cool.
It's for uh,
unsponsored surfers.
So they invite 16 guys
from around the world.
And they pretty much
let them duke it out
for a sponsorship
with O'Neill.
And I ended up winning.
And it was a... It was
a really special moment for
me,
and it totally changed
my whole career.
NARRATOR:
Despite opening the door
to a traditional pro career,
Torrey found it unfulfilling,
and turned his eyes and
efforts
to being
a free surfing big wave
rider.
As the first swell
of the season shows up,
the vagaries of chasing waves
split up the duo.
Matt goes to Maui, desperate
to catch Jaws no matter what.
Torrey decides to stay
on the north shore of Oahu,
where he thinks conditions
will be more favorable.
At dawn,
Matt is greeted by
a disappointing sight
upon his arrival.
And looks to have
made the wrong call,
and won't be scoring.
But the misfire on Maui
is contrasted
with some magic on Oahu.
This particular swell,
while not massive,
hits the sweet spot,
and is perfect
for a challenging location.
A legitimately heavy wave,
if not a giant one,
called Haleiwa.
And Torrey scores,
along with an all-star cast
of some of the best surfers
on the planet.
TORREY: It's one of
the heaviest waves,
I think, in the world,
and I don't think
people really realize that
it will pound you
like a big wave.
So, it's a heavy wave.
And that day was
especially heavy and big
and...
NARRATOR: The power
and ferocity of the wave
allow for high
performance surfing
in a high risk environment,
at least for a select handful
of premier surfers.
Some of the best
were out there tearing it up.
TORREY:
It's great surfing, you know,
with that kind of level
out there in Haleiwa.
Those guys are like
all your friends and
they are obviously pushing.
Everyone's trying to get
the best wave out there.
I think that's
super healthy for the sport,
'cause it pushes
you as a surfer
and as an individual.
NARRATOR:
Also out that day,
was Kai Lenny,
arguably the best all around
big wave waterman in the
world.
Having grown up on Maui,
just down the street from
Jaws,
he left an indelible mark
on the big wave world
with a single turn,
an incredible airdrop,
at his backyard break.
In a normal season,
he relentlessly
travels the globe
in search of the biggest
waves he can find.
Pushing past fear,
and redefining what's
possible at places like
Nazare.
But this season,
he's tethered closer to home
'cause his wife is pregnant,
and the birth of his twins
is imminent,
he makes the most
of the Haleiwa session.
Matt is burned on Maui
and Torrey
is scoring on the North
Shore.
But for this winter season,
they've enlisted the help
of a liaison
to their surf forecaster,
Curtis Beck,
a surfer himself,
to be in the right place
at the right time.
He injects himself
into what needs to happen
next.
[CELL PHONE VIBRATING]
MATT: I got a
call from Curtis,
and he just gets you psyched
to go chase big waves.
You know, he's like,
"You won't believe it."
"The waves are..."
"are like 10 ft bigger."
You gotta get
to the airport now.
And I was like...
It's like sprinting up
the Jaws part. [LAUGHS]
I am a hype machine.
Where I'm a hype machine,
is trying to factor in
the odds
of where and when to be.
NARRATOR: There's an old
saying in the surf world.
"Never leave good waves."
With the help of
surf forecaster, Mark
Sponsler,
Curtis makes the high risk
call for Matt and Torrey,
to head to Mavericks
in Northern California.
It's against
conventional wisdom.
And with no other pro surfer
even thinking about
making the same call.
The call was made on
24 hours' notice.
Mavericks is
particularly fickle,
in the wind area,
in local winds.
and the local wind models
are not the best.
But when you get in like a 20,
36-24 hour window,
boom!
All of a sudden
for this one swell,
it just...
It just... The wind
was forecasted to disappear.
You had to be willing
to turn on the dime.
NARRATOR: It's late
in the afternoon
as Bromley heads
to the airport.
Torrey is just getting
out of the water.
If Sponsler's correct,
they need to get on a flight
that evening.
TORREY: You know,
I probably surf for,
two and a half,
three hours or so.
[PHONE VIBRATING]
I remember coming in and
I had like, I don't know,
20 missed calls and
40 text messages, [CHUCKLES]
from Curtis, like,
"We're going to Mavericks."
And I was like,
"What, we are?"
"Do you wanna go?"
I was like,
"Is it gonna be good?"
And he's like,
"Yeah, Mark, you know,"
says it's gonna be good.
"It looks like
it's gonna be."
So, I was like,
"Yeah, let's do this."
So I literally...
I think I booked my ticket,
hour and a half
before the flight.
I barely made the flight.
Luckily, I had boards and
everything there.
I just shoved everything
into my board bags
and,
and got on the plane.
NARRATOR: They expected to see
other surfers
on the red eye flight
to San Francisco,
just north of Mavericks.
No one else is.
MATT: But anyway,
everybody made it,
and we got to sleep
at like 02:00 in the morning.
NARRATOR: At first, it seemed
the naysayers were correct
and no swell is to be had.
And the mad dash and red eye
were a failed mission.
No one else from Hawaii
took Sponsler seriously.
And perhaps
the master forecaster,
got it wrong.
MATT: We got down
to Mavs in the morning
and they were
still really small,
and I was like, "Oh my gosh,
there's no sign of the swell."
Like, "Is it coming?"
TORREY: Man, it looks
flat out there.
In the back of my mind,
I was like,
I need a swell so bad.
It sucked in Jaws.
It's gonna suck here.
It wasn't that big.
NARRATOR:
Even though there's no surf,
Torrey gets prepared
by picking up his board.
Helping on
the board transfer is
Curt Meyers from
Power Lines Productions.
Along with
his partner, Eric Nelson,
they are not
a typical production company.
But they embody
the passion and commitment
of the wave
and surf lifestyle
in Half Moon Bay.
ERIC: So, long story short,
back in the day,
I started a tv show
a community access channel
called Powerlines, Surf
Spots.
Curt had been
a lifelong fan,
and he saw that the show
was getting stale.
So, I challenged him
to do his own show on
surfing.
Hey, are you gonna
takeover or what?
ERIC: He wants
to be the Terminator.
We have the Curt Myer's Show.
-Wrong.
-Gotta be on Powerlines.
-Curt...
-You can put yourself on,
you can put
all his buddies on,
you can put
all his little girlfriends on.
He'll be killing it, bro.
So we joined forces.
Power Lines Productions
essentially
was born on that...
Back in the day.
NARRATOR: With world class
production values,
with Eric shooting
from the cliff
and Curt from the water,
they never miss
a swell or a key ride.
And represent
the devotion to the spot,
which is the hallmark
of the devotees of Mavericks.
The fact is that
riding waves at Mavericks
can be traced to one man,
and an extraordinary story.
JEFF: Growing up,
here in Half Moon Bay,
every morning
I sat and ate breakfast
looking at the ocean.
And you could literally see
Mavericks off in the right,
and all the restructure
out in the whole bay.
Discovering Mavericks
was literally
from surfing as big a waves
that I could
around all the other reefs
until depths would pop
in the distance.
NARRATOR:
At just 17 years old,
Jeff's natural desire to push
his limits as a surfer,
led him to paddle out
at Mavericks,
by himself.
Not only did he successfully
surf that day, and many
after,
but no one else
would even attempt to surf it
for years.
JEFF: I went out there,
10 years
completely by myself.
NARRATOR: After flying
under the radar for years,
Mavericks would finally
introduce itself
to the world stage
in a cover story
in Surfer magazine
in the 1980s,
and would quickly gain
worldwide recognition.
Most famous surf spots
around the world,
are shall we say,
less than welcoming
to any
outside visiting surfers.
Despite its fame,
the community of Half Moon Bay
has managed
to keep Mavericks
a special place
for all surfers.
JEFF: One of the up and coming
kids in our community,
his approach to people was,
is "show up and be kind."
Get along with everybody
and be as welcoming
as you know?
And he was that guy.
But uh,
he was out surfing
and he kicked out
of a wave
and sat down
and the board collapsed,
and the lifeguards couldn't
get to him before he drowned.
That was his tag line.
So, community
basically kept it
and uh, try to live it.
Is that you?
-Yeah.
-You're a star, dog.
[LAUGHS]
-WOMAN: Wow.
-MATT: Thanks.
MATT: When you arrive at Mavs,
everyone on the jet skis
is greeting you
and they are like, "Go for
it." They encouraging.
You get into the lineup and,
and everyone is like cheering
each other on out there.
It's like this...
I guess
there's this, like,
big wave brotherhood
out there, and all that.
It's such a rad
vibe, out there.
I love surfing Mavericks.
NARRATOR: Despite
the unique history
and welcoming vibe,
Mavericks has a dark side.
Having taken the lives
of two professional
big wave surfers,
Mark Foo, in 1994,
and Sion Milosky in 2011.
And almost
the legendary,
Shane Dorian,
couple of years later,
after a vicious wipeout
and a two wave
hold down.
But for Matt and Torrey,
there are no such concerns,
as the swell they chased
is nowhere to be seen.
Suddenly the
ocean is stirring,
and it looks like they may
have made the right call,
after all.
Suddenly we saw this
big explosion, like,
"Oh, we gotta get out there."
[LAUGHS]
NARRATOR: While Matt and
Torrey have surfed here
before,
neither really has
the lay of the land.
[MATT SPEAKING]
MATT: Yeah. I mean, Torrey,
I don't even know
how many times he's surfed.
I think he surfed
Mavericks like twice.
So, I've surfed there twice.
So I was following him,
but he didn't really know
what he was doing.
TORREY: I haven't done
in, like, three years,
and I've only done it once.
So... [CHUCKLES]
And it was from the left.
But...
we'll find a way out.
This guy's from South Africa,
dude, he'll find a way out.
MATT: Then we paddle out
around the left, out at Mavs,
which is
quite a spectacular view,
because when you're
on the left,
you're looking directly
into the slab
and the left barrel's
coming towards you.
Just massive.
We got out there
at, like, one o'clock
and was just bombing.
Pristine glass,
like, no wind at all.
Perfect conditions.
TORREY: This swell was
a lot bigger
than I thought
it was gonna be.
When I surfed
Mavericks of that size,
my main focus is,
is that left
because I think there's just
so much potential there.
Now, you see, you know, no
human beings like us,
going out there
and pushing our hardest to,
you know, overcome our fears.
When you see someone
really just super passionate
and not letting fear
take over,
and just going at it,
you know, head down.
I think It's, uh,
it's a very motivating thing.
NARRATOR:
Despite going out with dreams
of a big left slab barrel,
the ocean has its way of
determining how things go
and Torrey ends up front side.
TORREY: I remember just
doubling up super hard,
like, right on the peak.
I just whipped it
really fast and went.
And I remember
just kind of airdropping,
like, "Oh, man,"
"this...this is uh..."
"This isn't good.
I better stick this time."
That was probably my best
wave, I ended up being right,
which is kind of funny, it's
like a nice airdrop
and ended up sticking it
and getting mowed down.
And getting [CHUCKLES]
pretty dang close to the
rocks
and on Mushroom Rock
on the inside
and all that area.
NARRATOR:
For Matt, in the past,
Mavericks has been
the best of times,
and the worst of times.
MATT: The last time
I was at Mavericks,
I had one of the best waves
I've ever had,
and I had
all this confidence.
And then,
I paddled into this wave
thinking, like, I've got this,
and the whole bottom
of the ocean
just seemed to fall away.
And I was just
pushed into the depths,
one of the worst
beatings of my life.
And that was the last wave
I had out at Mavericks.
And now going
back out there,
in the back of my mind,
I'm like,
"Hey, the waves are beautiful
and they look friendly."
But there's a chance that
you could have
the worst wipeout of your
life.
My approach is always
to sit a little bit outside
and try to get
the biggest wave of the day.
That's what
I'm out here to do.
This beautiful, big
peak came in
and it just looked incredible.
MATT:
When I was paddling into it,
I was looking down,
and it looked like it was
too critical,
and getting too steep.
But I just thought, like,
this is what I'm here for.
Just gotta send it.
I really believe that,
challenges that are...
The big challenges
are always scary.
But the bigger the challenge,
the more it's gonna
help you to grow.
Everyone has that fear
that's holding them back.
And you have to
face that fear.
All the feelings
of vulnerability,
the anxieties,
it's all part of it.
And unless you face that,
and move through it,
you're going to remain
in the smaller world.
But if you face it
and move through it,
then you're gonna experience
some of the best things,
and you're gonna grow
as a human being,
and you're going to be able
to surf that big wave.
That is your destiny.
MATT: It's so often,
I think on the other side
of that fear
is where we experience
our best moments.
NARRATOR: A year later,
Matt has pushed past
the memory
of his heavy wipeout,
and for a few minutes
he watches Torrey,
who is looking
for his dream wave.
Although Mavericks
is famous for its right,
the left represents
the next frontier of the wave.
And Torrey sets the standard
with a deep one.
TORREY: I got a few lefts
and then one left
in particular.
That was like I
got a barrel on.
It felt really, really fun.
NARRATOR:
After an amazing first ride,
Matt is feeling invincible
and ready for another bomb.
MATT: This wave came
and moved under the pack
'cause it was a big double up.
I just thought, like,
"I could do this"
and I put my head down.
And as I stood up at the top,
the bottom of the wave
just dropped too quickly,
and my board was,
was too long
and I nosedive and just,
like, flung, catapulted me
over the front of the board.
It's this
weird silence before,
like the chaos
is about to start
because you're just getting
pulled up and over in the
lip,
and then it took so long.
And then it was just the
impact was so gnarly, and so
strong
and just rattled
and pulled in all directions.
I ended up having to
pull my vest
because I was getting pushed
super deep under the water.
Came up
and my board was in two
pieces,
I was like, "No."
NARRATOR:
At most big wave spots,
the other surfers would smile
quietly to themselves
that a force in the lineup
has been sidelined.
But luckily for Matt,
Mavericks'
special spirit reveals itself
as local big wave legend,
Peter Mel,
who has ridden the biggest
and best barrel
in the spot's history,
offers to share
one of his backup boards.
MATT: The waves
are pumping still
and I've got a broken board.
So I went up to Pete
and he was on the jet ski,
watching his son
John, charging.
I'm like, "Pete, please,
I really need
this backup board."
Like, "Where is it?"
He's like, "Yeah, it's cool."
"It's in the...
It's in my van."
Like, "Here,
this is where the key is."
And so he raced in.
And thank you, Pete,
for bringing down the board.
[CHUCKLES]
Got the board, went back out
and got a few more waves.
TORREY: Such a nice day,
you know.
We had, like, probably
three or four hour window,
and then the wind
started whipping
and went straight on shore,
and it was done.
Definitely the best
big wave session
that I've had
this whole year by far.
Yeah, we called Curtis
right after and like,
"Dude, thank you
so much, man."
[LAUGHS]
NARRATOR: It may not
have been the biggest day
in Mavs' history,
but it was one of
the cleanest days
in a long time,
making the red-eye trip,
the right call.
72 hours,
after arriving in California,
the boys find themselves
heading straight
back to Hawaii.
And with Matt's time in Hawaii
starting to grow short,
he's heartened by the news
of a possible fresh swell,
but one surrounded by
question marks.
Such is the life
of a big wave surfer.
I've got like
a week left before
I have got to get
home to my family.
And this good looking
pulse of swell
is coming
for the weekend.
Everyone's saying it's gonna
be too small for Jaws.
It's gonna be too windy.
I knew that
if there was a chance
that Jaws would be going,
then I needed to be out there.
I needed to spend as much
time out at Jaws as possible.
And if there's
anything happening,
I've gotta be out there.
Matt was just frothing to go.
He's like, "I just... I'm
going to go, no matter what."
And I was like, "I don't know
if I'm going to go, man."
I think it's going to be bad.
I think it will be
windy and small.
And I was like, "Torrey,
I'm going to Jaws, bro.
"Just come with me.
Let's do it."
TORREY: And I was like,
"Well, all right,
"well, let's just do it."
I don't know. Who knows?
Maybe there'll be
a couple at Jaws.
Yeah, this looks...
It doesn't look like
there's any action, really.
When we arrived,
it looked like it was dead
flat.
And I was like,
"Oh my gosh, we have blown
it."
I was ready in my
inflation suit, ready to go.
There were no waves.
Somebody was on the cliff.
Had been there for a while.
He said
he hasn't seen any waves.
The swell
hasn't arrived.
NARRATOR:
Things don't look good.
But in a replay of Mavericks,
things suddenly
start to shift.
MATT: One of the really
cool things about Jaws is
when the...
When the sets approaches,
the lines stack up
from the horizon.
You just see,
looks like corduroy lines.
They like, stack up big
These lines just started,
like marching,
and they just unloaded
and, like
barreled across the reef.
Oh my gosh, it's on.
I was ready in my suit.
I just started
running down the cliff,
Torrey started
getting ready.
One of the most
terrifying things about Jaws
is the rock jump.
Uh, it's these boulders
down there, that are
getting rolled
by these surging waves.
There's a massive shore break
that's exploding on the rocks,
and you've got to
try to time it.
When there's no sets,
you've got to punch through
this shore break
and get into the deep water,
into the channel.
But if you time it wrong,
you're getting slammed
back on the rocks.
Got through the shore break
and I got out
into the lineup.
My strategy was, kind of,
to just wait
for one really good one.
Try not to sit too close in
because it felt like
there might be
a few bigger ones
breaking further out.
I looked over the edge,
and it was steep,
and I pulled back,
and I had about
four or five, I was like,
"Damn, should have gone
in that wave."
Like, "That was a good one."
Just kept pulling back.
And then I saw this wave.
I was like, "I'm going
on this thing, no matter
what."
As the wave picks me up,
I'm still with the thought...
I'm still trying to claw my
way down the wave face,
even though it's getting
more and more vertical.
I jumped up and went down.
And as I was going down,
I was just suddenly like,
"Wow, This wave is so windy,
and so choppy."
And I was like,
trying to balance
going over
these big wind chops.
At the same time, I was trying
to get my line going,
because the wave
is going down the line.
If the wave is running,
there's this big wall
ahead of me.
As I was bottom-turning,
I could see the lip
already starting to fall.
The only way I'm gonna make
this wave is to get under
the core.
And I just pumped up enough
under the roof of it,
and, then, I was, like,
in the bowl of this,
like, beautiful, big wave.
And then I came through
and down and made it
into the channel.
I was, like, "Phew."
Stoked. [LAUGHS]
Every now and then,
the sets would come in
from the west,
and I could see, like,
way down the line
up these big walls
wrapping into it,
where Torrey was,
and I could just see him
spinning and going.
TORREY: When Jaws is big
and windy, it's literally
almost impossible
to paddle into
a really big wave.
Got a couple of good waves,
and it was actually better
than I thought
it was going to be.
So that was really nice.
NARRATOR: The fabled Maui
winds start blowing even
harder,
and the wiser course of action
is to exit.
But Matt decides
he wants one more.
MATT: We had a few great
windy waves
out of, uh, Jaws.
I kind of... I felt like I
was really getting in the
zone.
And, then, I tried to send it
on a pretty big one
out the back.
And, as I was going down
the wave face,
the chops were just so
intense.
Just bucked me off my board
and I had, like,
a pretty gnarly beatdown.
I got up again
over the fall, sent deep,
I pulled my vest.
The water safety guy
we had organized,
he came in and got me.
NARRATOR: The wind-whipped
wipeout puts a period
on the Jaws session
for Matt and Torrey.
But, for Kai Lenny,
homebound on Maui
with his newborn twins,
it gives him a moment
to reflect on big wave riding
and, then, head out
and grab the tow rope
for a solo expression session.
KAI: I have so much
that I wanted to accomplish
in big waves,
and what better place
but in my backyard?
Really, the scariest thing
about riding a big wave,
and just as, as life is,
you know, it's fear
of the unknown.
In order to overcome fear,
you have to be able to face
it,
and there's just, really,
no other way to get around it.
But facing it is, oftentimes,
less scary
than just thinking about it,
or leading up to it.
Fear is, I think,
the emotion that gets
the worst rap.
But, at the same time,
it's the most powerful
emotion.
It's actually what helps you
survive and overcome.
'Cause it's not conscious,
in a way.
It's almost
a subconscious thing,
and it's about honing in
that fear
and channeling it
in the right direction.
You can let it eat you up,
or you can let it take you
to the highest of places.
When you're on the wave,
everything goes quiet.
You're at, probably,
in that moment,
the loudest place on earth.
Waves are exploding.
People are screaming
on the cliff.
All of sudden,
it's just pure quiet,
and it's this blissfulness.
NARRATOR: While Kai slips in
sessions between diaper duty
for Matt and Torrey,
it's another flight.
This time, back to Oahu,
where a new swell
promises to bring
what might be
the most dangerous wave
on Earth to life,
Pipeline.
One thing is for sure,
the vibe will not be
the welcoming community
at Mavericks,
or the nearly empty,
windblown lineup at Jaws.
Torrey enjoys
heavy local status
to help him get waves
in this cutthroat
competitive arena,
but Matt is gonna
have to play politics
to get his.
MATT: If you take
the wrong wave out there,
if you drop in
on the wrong person,
even looking at the wrong
wave, you can get beaten up.
You can get sent in.
NARRATOR: Pipeline may not
break the biggest,
but if you measure waves
in increments of fear,
it's at the top of the chain,
having claimed many lives
on the shallow lava reef.
I feel like in a wave like
Jaws, you can prepare
for the hold-down.
You're in deep water.
When that wave crashes
over you, it's pushing you
down into the depths,
which is most people's
worst nightmare.
But, if you're prepared
for that hold-down,
you're gonna survive it,
whereas, if you go to a wave
like Pipeline,
sure, it's, like,
a lot smaller,
but it's breaking
in extremely shallow,
uh, over shallow lava rock.
And you can do everything
in your control to be safe
and to try to catch
the right wave,
but that wave is slamming you
into the reef, if you're in
the wrong place.
There's so much energy
that's converging
into a very small area.
The reef is very uneven,
making the wave walk,
and refract,
and change
in different directions.
It's extremely unpredictable.
And, if you fall
in the wrong place,
that wave is driving you
so hard into the reef.
So no amount of preparation
can really help you to
be safer out there.
If you go on the wrong wave,
and it pushes you
into the reef,
you're gonna be
in serious trouble.
If you're going head first,
you can get knocked out
unconscious,
like, very, very easily.
Pipeline is definitely
the most dangerous wave
in the world.
And I feel just as much fear
out of Pipeline that I do
surfing a wave like Jaws.
NARRATOR: For Matt,
this is a uniquely
challenging spot,
dealing with a combination
of danger, and hunting
for a wave amongst the
locals.
MATT: It was a little bit
of an uphill battle,
again, in the crowd.
The waves were really good,
but it was a struggle
to get waves.
When you surf a wave
that's that intense,
time slows down.
All your senses come alive.
Everything is intensified
from when you're paddling
into the wave,
you're looking over the edge
and it's past vertical,
and you can see the water
sucking off the reef,
the bottom of the wave
drops away, and the,
and the top just curls over,
making this huge room
that you're inside of.
Only have, like,
two or three seconds
inside that chamber,
but it feels...
It's one of the best feelings
you can have
in the whole world.
NARRATOR: Looking for
a classic Pipe left,
battling the crowd,
and knowing the hungry reef
is waiting underneath,
Matt finds himself
dealing with some unusual
crosstown traffic.
As I was paddling,
I was shouting
all the crew off down the
line.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!
I'm going! I'm going!"
And it's really steep,
so you, kind of,
have to be focused
on, like, on your take off.
But, out the corner
of my eye, I could see
this bodyboarder.
He was looking very interested
in my wave.
As I'm dropping in,
I see out the corner
of my eye, he's going.
And I was, like, "Whoa!"
I shouted, "Whoa, whoa!"
I pulled up into this
big barrel behind him.
He, like, almost aired over
me, and I, I rode through
his foam trail
and, then,
was in this beautiful,
big barrel.
And he was riding
in front of it,
just in front of me.
I shot out of the barrel
and he was trying
to turn off the wave.
I don't think
he'd even seen me.
I was, like, "Oh, at least
we both made the wave.
We were safe."
And, then,
some of the photographers,
they were, like,
"Hey, dude,
that was so dangerous, man."
And, then, they sent him in.
[CHUCKLING] So, on my behalf,
he got sent in.
NARRATOR: While localism
has its downsides,
sometimes, harsh crowd control
also provides safety
in life-threatening
situations.
[UPBEAT INSTRUMENTAL
ROCK MUSIC]
TORREY: Pipeline's the left,
Backdoor's the right.
And, my whole life,
I've always been obsessed
with Backdoor.
It depends on who you ask.
A lot of people will tell you
it's sketchier than Pipe.
Maybe not as perfect.
For me, I would say,
it's more of a challenge.
I don't know if I'd call
myself a heavy local.
I think I just...
I'm super passionate
about the wave that I want.
I think the wave that I want
is this really big,
doubled-up thing
that doesn't look like
the best wave,
and, as soon as
you second-guess it,
it's, kind of, gone.
Consistently being good,
day after day,
I would say, this is
one of the best years
I've seen in the Pipeline.
It was really nice
to travel with Bromley.
That was definitely one
of my highlights of the year,
was going on some surf trips
with him,
and just have some good times
with him, and get him hooked
on country music, you know?
I appreciate that. [LAUGHS]
[UPBEAT MUSIC]
All we listened to, all day,
everyday in his car
was Western music,
and I don't really like
Western music. [LAUGHS]
Torrey is one of the most
polite and humble surfers that
I know.
He's such a nice guy.
And one of the reasons
why I just love cruising
with him, we get on super
well.
Chasing the swell together
was the first time we, like,
properly connected,
and got to hang out, like,
day after day.
And he's such a legend
and he's an incredible
surfer.
NARRATOR: For Matt, it was
time to head back home
to his family in South Africa.
MATT: I can't wait
to get home to my baby
and to my wife, and
yeah, reset and get ready
for the next swell.
[DRAMATIC ROCK MUSIC]
NARRATOR: At Pipeline,
one of the locals
who usually gets the waves
he wants, is Makua Rothman,
who grew up on
the North Shore.
But where he really made
his mark is back at Jaws
on Maui,
having launched his career
in 2003 as a 17-year-old,
winning the XXL Big Wave
awards with a 66-foot ride.
And then, last year,
topping that
by getting towed into
one of the largest waves
ever ridden.
Some say the face
approached 100 feet,
though he's not claiming it,
and only says,
"Let the ride and wave
speak for themselves."
This season,
while certainly not
hanging up his trunks,
Makua decided to run
for City Council
and put his focus on
politics.
But he's also about
keeping the spirit of Aloha
alive globally,
which led him
to an extraordinary
surf session
about as far away
as you can get from big waves.
[UPBEAT ROCK MUSIC]
A wave pool in Austin, Texas,
sharing the stoke
with two champions
of other sports.
MAKUA: Honestly,
when I surf here
and I catch a wave,
I don't think
that I am in a pool
in the middle of Waco, Texas.
I'm on a wave surfing,
regardless of what it is.
And, you know, technology
has, you know, given all of us
the ability to surf, you know,
anywhere on Planet Earth now.
Once you get on that wave,
you're not thinking
you're in a pool, right?
You're on a wave
getting barreled.
It's like you're at Uluwatu
or whatever.
-I think, it's also the people
you're around as well.
-MAKUA: Yes.
Yeah, the camaraderie,
like, the, the group
you bring to the pool, as
well.
-Yes.
-You know,
people you've come with.
The, the, the,
you know, you've always
gotta surround yourself
with good people.
NARRATOR: Makua threw down
a super fun session
at BSR's wave pool
with none other
than Formula One
seven-time world champion,
Lewis Hamilton,
and four-time Supercross
motocross title holder,
Dylan Ferrandis,
a fun break from politics
and the even harsher realities
of big waves.
MAKUA: Oh, Lewis
was charging today.
He was, uh, stepping it up
to the next level.
They both were.
[CAPTIVATING
INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC]
It doesn't matter what I did
in this pool.
Like, I could have done
a move I've never done before,
and it wouldn't make me
as happy as watching
you two guys
come out of the barrel
with your hands up,
"Yeah!"
Like, that's what makes me
feel good.
That's the kind of stuff
that I really enjoy
about surfing,
because I know that surfing
can bring the world together.
[MAKUA CHEERING]
[HOOTING]
[INSTRUMENTAL ROCK MUSIC]
NARRATOR: While
the North Shore pumps,
Bianca Valenti charges
an outer reef.
She is among the elite
of the growing number
of women worldwide
taking on big waves,
joining the ranks of the
likes of Keala Kennelly,
who has never found a drop
she won't attempt,
and Justine Dupont,
who made history
at Jaws last winter
with an epic barrel.
But her home break
is the fabled
and feared Mavericks.
An extension of the embracing
nature of Mavericks
is how women have become
accepted in the lineup.
It wasn't always this way,
going back to the pioneering
female surfer, Sarah
Gerhardt,
the first female
to charge the wave.
I was born in LA
and, then, grew up
in Dana Point.
Learned how to surf
at Doheny Beach there
when I was seven.
Then, I got into big waves
at UC Santa Barbara.
I decided I wanted to live
in San Francisco
after I graduated.
[PEOPLE EXCLAIMING
AND CHEERING]
Started surfing Mavericks.
The first time I surfed,
it was in 2012.
[INSTRUMENTAL ROCK MUSIC]
Every single time,
there's a really special day
out there.
I want to be out there.
I want to be fully present,
fully ready,
because every single second,
every single wave,
every single session out
there,
it's so amazing, and
different, and special.
You know, you have
these experiences
where you see your life
flash before your eyes.
It's an amazing place
where you can learn
a lot about yourself.
Mavericks Surf Awards
was a super fun event.
I think, like, 300 or 400
people showed up at Old
Princeton Landing the other
night.
There was just a lot of love,
and it's so nice
to come together
with community,
in celebration of the wave,
because it is
such a special place.
There were
three men's categories,
three women's categories,
equal prize money.
Winning three awards,
actually, yeah, that was
pretty cool to get, you know,
acknowledgement for all that
hard work.
NARRATOR: Today,
Bianca finds herself
in the lineup,
having earned the ultimate
compliment, respect.
And she gets her waves
and has built a life and
career
as a pioneering female
big wave surfer.
BIANCA: So awesome,
this season, seeing more women
in the water,
especially in Hawaii,
and here, too,
and to have the guys
cheering us on so much.
It's been fun
to be a part of this,
this movement that really has
so much momentum right now.
[UPBEAT INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC]
NARRATOR: With his surf buddy,
Matt Bromley, gone,
and the waves looking flat,
Torrey has another way
to get his required dose
of adrenaline
outside of the ocean.
TORREY: Something that I do
on the side to, kind of,
get the adrenaline rush
is pit bull riding.
My whole family's
from Texas, so,
I don't know, I kind of grew
up watching the PBR
and been super in love with,
you know, country music
and the western way of life.
NARRATOR: Surfing
and big wave riding
may be part of the fabric
of Hawaii,
but it also has 150 years
of history of Hawaiian
cowboys.
They call them paniolos.
They have, like,
a really cool rodeo scene
over here in Hawaii.
For me, I think, it's kind of
the coolest,
the best of both worlds,
'cause you got, you know,
some of the best surf
in the world,
and, then, you can go get on
some horses and bulls, too.
So it's really special
that we have that in Hawaii.
You get that full, like,
Aloha Hawaiian spirit as
well,
with, like, the cowboy spirit,
too, you know, kind of mixed
in with these guys.
[DRAMATIC GUITAR MUSIC]
Getting on a bull
is completely out of
my element, you know.
It's, it's the scariest thing
ever to me.
It's a little bit different
than big wave surfing,
you know?
When you're out in the water,
then you can
kind of choose
to go on the wave or not.
When you're on the bull,
you know, you're committed.
Obviously, I know a lot more
about riding a wave than I do
about riding a bull.
So, yeah, I'm pretty quiet
when I,
when I'm, you know,
getting in the chute.
NARRATOR: On a rainy night
on the North Shore,
Torrey tests himself
against 1,500-pound
angry bulls.
MAN 1: Stay. Hold on.
-[BELL DINGING]
-[CLANGING]
MAN 2: Stay with him.
Drop your legs.
Drop your legs.
-MAN 1: You okay?
-TORREY: Yeah.
TORREY: You know, feeling
the power of that bull
when you're getting on it.
And, like,
you're in the chute, and...
When you nod your head to go,
and you don't really know
what's gonna happen,
it's kind of the greatest
feeling ever for me.
And, um,
I became super attracted
to that feeling.
-[GATE CREAKING]
-[BULL BELLOWING]
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
[CLANGING]
MAN 1: Yeah, don't do that.
Yeah, drop your legs.
[INDISTINCT SHOUTING]
[BULL BELLOWING]
TORREY: Throughout
the evening,
Torrey chooses to nod his head
five times.
He may not have ridden
the fabled eight seconds,
but faced another
side of fear, then,
ended the night unscathed,
and with as big a smile
on his face as a killer
big wave surf session.
The winter is winding down,
but forecaster Mark Sponsler
sees something very
interesting pop up.
Not for Hawaii, but over
on the North Atlantic
and aimed at Nazare, Portugal.
It's good news
for big wave-hungry
Nic Von Rupp,
but also nerve-wracking
as he's still recovering
from an early season injury.
It's the end of the season.
I bruised my ribs really hard.
And I was supposed to be
out of the water for a while,
you know?
Like, I was... I thought
that was it. But, then,
this swell popped up.
That swell at Nazare,
a lot of it was the north
angle and the
intensity of the storm,
and the duration of it.
All that just radiating
and focusing
right on Nazare.
NARRATOR: The swell
is particularly ominous,
and Sponsler is calling
for something
that could be historic.
Going against
his doctor's advice,
Nic goes into
full-preparation mode
the day before the swell.
NIC: Surfing big waves
is an emotional roller
coaster, you know?
Like, obviously,
like, when the swell pops up,
there's excitement, you know?
Like, "Oh, my God,
it's gonna happen."
Then, the media
start hyping it up, like,
"It's the biggest swell ever!"
And, then,
fear starts kicking in.
And you're, like,
"Oh, my God,
the biggest swell ever?"
I mean, I've already seen it,
the biggest ever,
and it was scary, you know?
Like, how can I imagine
it bigger?
Like, everything
starts kicking in, you know?
And, then, obviously, you,
like, calm down.
You start focusing,
preparing, start calling up
your team.
NARRATOR: The safety team
meeting takes place
in the harbor.
There is no margin for error.
On days like this, when it's,
when it's supposed to be
absolutely huge...
Like, we had a huge swell
on January 8th.
It was really big
and everything went wrong.
So, this swell, it was
supposed to be even bigger,
and we doubled up on safety.
So instead of everyone doing
their own kind of little,
uh...
tow teams, you know,
of three people,
we create a huge
10-people team, you know?
It's really a team effort.
Everyone needs
to be synchronized,
committed, focused.
There's no room for mistakes,
you know?
It's just, like, mistakes,
is ending up on the rocks.
NARRATOR: The dangers
of Nazare are real.
From being smashed
in the rocks
to crushed in the pounding
shore break,
it's easy for things
to go very wrong
with real consequences.
NIC: The special thing
about Nazare is its canyon,
you know?
It's, it's unique.
It's like a world wonder.
It's one of the deepest
canyons in the world, and the
way you can compare it,
is to the Grand Canyon.
Basically, it just catches
the swell in the middle
of the ocean.
So the swell's coming in
from the Atlantic.
And what it does,
all that energy
just compresses
to the depth of that canyon,
and just shoots up
with all its strength
straight at the
beach, you know?
And, and, then, when it hits
that shallow part,
the wave just, like,
[MIMICS EXPLOSION]
stands up, you know?
And that's how you get
that mountain of water,
you know?
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
[MUSIC STOPS]
[SLOW INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC]
We've been talking
since 6, 6:30 a.m.
with the team
and...
Lucas said it's huge.
[DISHES CLATTERING]
-Windy.
-[MAN CHUCKLING]
And clean.
-Let's wait.
-[MAN CHUCKLING]
I don't know, we might see
that first 100 ft wave,
we might not.
NIC: There was definitely
a hiccup in the morning.
I mean, I figured out
my vest had a hole.
[CHUCKLES]
And you don't want your vest
that saves your life,
to have a hole, to be leaking,
you know?
You don't wanna be
thinking about that,
you know?
Like, you wanna to be
100% focused
and be trusting
your equipment.
My vest had a hole,
someone took my fins...
and, all of a sudden,
I'm just, like, "Yo, no."
I wasn't under control
of the whole situation,
you know?
And when you're putting
your life at risk like that,
you want to be 100% in
control.
NARRATOR: A variety of big
wave surfers have arrived
from across the globe
to challenge the waves,
including Brazilian charger
Michaela Fregonese,
whose young son
waits nervously back home.
He's scared, you know?
He scared to lose me,
that's why.
Because do you know
how danger is, so...
MAN: Wait a second.
This is dangerous?
[LAUGHING] Oh, yeah!
Super dangerous. Yeah.
I don't rush because I know...
anyway, that God
is gonna be, like...
my best wave.
Like, the biggest wave
of my life, for sure, today.
I was praying not only for me,
but for all.
For all the people here.
Because, if nobody hurts,
you feeling more confident,
you know?
If you were hurt...
[CLICKS TONGUE]
It's scary, you know?
If nobody hurt,
everybody happy,
everybody get the bomb,
everything's gonna be okay.
So I pray for everyone
here today.
NARRATOR: One of the surfers
here is Vini Dos Santos,
32, from Brazil.
He's famed for catching
one of the biggest
paddle-in waves at Nazare.
But now he's determined
to make his mark
by picking up the rope
and hunting down a monster,
and making his mark
on the global stage.
NIC: You know, I had
some issues in the morning.
The vest, the fins.
But, you know, like,
we're cowboys
at the end of the day
and we just make it happen,
you know?
Like, so my buddy
lended me a vest,
my buddy lended me some fins.
-That one is gonna be
a buoy?
-That one's gonna be, uh...
-Okay, who's gonna go
on that one?
-The... the other guy...
For me, what really matters
is the team spirit
and, obviously, commitment.
You wanna be out
there all day.
You want to catch...
You want to surf big waves.
You want to make
the most of this.
Go prepare. [CHUCKLES]
NIC: When I get on my jet ski,
it's... That's when I, like,
feel connected.
It's like an extension
of my body, you know?
I can... I just feel
that adrenaline.
It's like going to war,
you know? It's preparing,
like, going to war.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
NARRATOR: When the surf
comes into their sights,
Sponsler's forecast
is proven accurate.
It's big.
The only question is,
is it historically big?
NIC: Big wave surfing
really relates to the daily
activity of anyone.
Everyone has dreams.
Everyone is afraid
of the dreams.
And a lot of people
are not able to achieve
their dreams because of fear,
gets in the middle of it.
It's exactly the same way,
big wave surfing.
I have the dream.
I have the dream of surfing
the biggest wave of my life.
I'm afraid of it,
of what can happen.
My boyfriend,
Nick Von Rupp, he's a surfer,
a big wave surfer.
I just have to keep believing
that everything
will be fine, because...
[INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER]
...this is a matter
of life and death.
NIC: The first wave,
it was so choppy.
I was going so fast
and through those bumps,
and I felt like my board
was skidding out.
You know, having that feeling
of not being in control
and, all of a sudden,
you feel your fin
sliding sideways,
and you're holding on.
Like, it gives you
that snowboard feeling.
You know where you're, like,
trying to, like, use your
edges instead of your fins.
That's what it felt like.
I'm like, "Oh, my God!
I'm gonna eat shit right now."
[OMINOUS MUSIC]
I went flying down, like,
both arms, trying to penetrate
through the water,
thinking I'm gonna
pull through, you know,
and swim on the other side.
At one moment, I
think I got it.
And, then, the thing
just takes me down and
explodes.
Lucas comes up to pick me up.
NARRATOR: The wipeout
was bad enough...
then, things get worse.
A second wave appears.
It takes duck-diving
a 900-pound Jet Ski
with Nic holding on
with one good arm
to escape the maelstrom.
Oh, my God, that's not
how I wanna start the day,
you know?
[INSPIRATIONAL ROCK MUSIC]
I felt something was wrong,
you know?
But, with the adrenaline,
you don't feel it, you know?
You know, it was...
You know, I had to take
a little break
and, then, all of a sudden,
my arm started hurting.
Like, I couldn't even hold on
to the Jet Ski.
But I was, like,
"This is my day.
"This is, like...
I can't give up right now,"
you know?
NARRATOR: Undaunted
by Nic's injury
and the vibe change
in the water,
Michaela finds the
opportunity to get the ride
of her life.
With a solid one
under her belt,
Michaela heads back out
and catches what is, arguably,
one of the biggest waves
ever ridden by a woman.
MICHAELA: That's the best
feeling ever.
When you do what you love,
no one get hurt, nothing,
it's so amazing.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
NARRATOR: As with any
big wave session,
there was sure to be carnage.
Also cashing in his chips
at the pain window
is Vini Dos Santos, where
things go wrong
on a big one,
things go wrong in a big way.
[OMINOUS MUSIC]
The ski tries to reach him
to get him to safety,
but another wave rolls in,
and he's left helpless
and beaten up
in the impact zone.
In unprecedented fashion,
the pressure of the wave
has popped his inflation vest
and the metal canister
gets ripped out
and starts hitting him
on the head.
Barely conscious,
the ski driver races him
to the beach.
After the intense hold-down,
Vini is administered oxygen
on the beach.
It is thanks
to the well-prepped
safety team
that Vini is okay
after a relentless wipeout.
While on the stretcher,
he talks about a giant wave
he caught earlier.
Later, looking at the
footage, it reveals
something extraordinary.
It appears he might have
ridden a record-setting wave,
perhaps the 100-foot wave.
The measuring of waves
is as much art as science.
One oceanographer later
pegged this wave at 97.5 feet.
Variables as to where the top
and bottom of the wave are,
the fact that the wave
flattened out as he surfed
to his right,
and the incalculable
distortion from the lens,
leave the measurement
in the eye of the beholder.
History might have been made
by Vini
but, out in the lineup,
Nic rallies to catch one more,
despite bruised ribs,
and literally having
only one arm with any
strength.
NIC: It's stupid.
Like, my body
is telling me to stop.
My... my ribs
are almost broken.
My arm is, like, I don't know
what I have in my arm,
but it's, like,
I can't move it.
My body is telling me to stop.
Like, you know,
life gives you signs.
Your body gives you signs
when it's enough and...
But I just thought, like,
whatever, you know?
Like, let's just go again.
[INSPIRATIONAL MUSIC]
And I'm getting, like,
a first peaker,
like, really intense,
where I, like, dropped down.
I ran in front of the cliff,
and the thing just stood up
really tall.
Just magic, you know?
Like, the wave was so clean,
so big.
I faded deep.
I had that feeling
that I wanted, you know?
Like, in 100% control.
You know, like, riding as deep
as I can, pushing my limits,
but in control, you know?
I was writing the waves
the way I wanted.
[PEOPLE CHEERING]
We made it!
Guys, thank you so much
for your approach,
for your confidence in my job.
NIC: For me, like,
it was a successful day
not because I rode
the biggest waves of my life.
For me, it was a successful
day because we are back
in one piece.
My ribs are hurting.
My shoulders are hurting.
Like, I can't even lift my arm
more than this, it feels like.
And I still caught,
like, three waves.
My best waves.
Like, I couldn't move my arm.
So, for me, it was, like, a...
a real effort of,
kind of like, pushing my
limits
and pushing my boundaries
and the commitment, you know?
Like, that's the most
important for me.
Oh, I got five waves. Five.
Four right, and one left.
Yeah, today was the biggest
wave I ever surf in my life,
for sure.
NIC: You always feel like
you could have done better,
you know?
I'm never satisfied.
Like, I'm very driven.
I always wanna do better.
I always wanna progress.
Not for others,
but for myself.
Like that's what I'm made of,
you know?
Like, that's what kept me
in the game. That's what
kept me progressing.
We're still scratching
the surface on what...
what's doable
and what's big out in Nazare.
So, I mean, let's see
what's gonna happen
the next five years.
Let's see what's gonna happen
the next 10 years.
Eventually it's gonna be,
you know, over 100-foot.
Let's see what's gonna happen,
you know?
And I hope
I'll still be here to...
to see it, you know?
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
NARRATOR: At the end
of the day, they paddled out.
Some dreams are realized
and some are not.
For those watching,
for those riding,
the lesson remains the same...
pushing limits and facing
fears leads to progression,
leads to growth...
leads to what is next.
The Northern Hemisphere
will go dormant.
These men and women will wait.
The waves will return.
They will test
themselves again.
And we all will be inspired
by their example
to face our fears
and push into and past
the fear of the unknown
in our own lives...
to the other side of fear.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC ENDS]
[INSTRUMENTAL ROCK MUSIC]