13 surf spots that scare the crap out of you

13.     Dungeons

Dark… that’s the feeling that video footage of this South African big wave gives off. Its setup is like something out of an HP Lovecraft tale and its name doesn’t do it any favors. 

12.     Waimea Bay

One of the gnarliest and most famous big waves in the world is a two parter… First you have the main lineup which is a huge right hander that is basically summed up by the instructions of “take off, aim and wish for the best”. If you get past that, then you just have to get past the most photographed shorebreak in the world which has waves of up to 15 feet detonating on a shallow sand bottom.

11.   Cortez Bank

To get to Cortez you have to go into the middle of the ocean and surf in shark infested waters. To surf big waves you have to be wired differently. To surf Cortez you have to be f#$%ed in the head.

10. Shipstern’s Bluff

Holy mutant ledges Batman, what the hell is that? Initially a bodyboarding hellman’s paradise, Shipstern’s has been invaded by standup boarders towing into mutant slabs. It’s a messed up ride with high consequences… the funny thing is that bodyboarders would charge this place paddling into it.

9.  Ghost Trees

Ominous, spooky and a big wave spot that offers some of the biggest barrels in the world. Ghost Trees is one of those spots where guys seem like they’re surfing dark cyclopean tsunamis.

8.  Jaws

The name would be bad enough, that this massive wave requires crowd control makes it even more dangerous. A right hander (and occasional left) that discharges on a Maui reef break is the diamond standard of tow-in surfing. It’s technical, it’s massive, you’ll go about a million miles an hour and all the while you’re just praying to make it to the channel. Never mind that you can get a barrel where a semi truck fits comfortably.

7. Cave Rock

I’m never going to forget a caption I read in a magazine that said something on the lines of “Perfect and completely empty… 14 shark attacks in 14 weeks will do that to a place.” Few places really ask you to fully risk your life when you paddle out… and quite frankly no other place intimidates me as much regarding my chances of getting attacked by a shark.

6.  Puerto Escondido

All sand bottom, hot temperatures, direct tap to Pacific Swells that unload on this stretch… what’s not to love? How about a phantom set 6-7 ft. bigger than what you’re surfing to clean out the entire beach. Puerto can handle big size and it’ll kick your ass unmercifully, making you curse the day you said beachbreaks weren’t as dangerous as reefs.

5.  Teahupoo

Perfection can be scary… Teahupoo looks like God looked at a surf T-shirt and decided to put that on Earth… or vice versa. The thing is that Teahupoo’s lip is insanely thick, the wave ends in a closeout and if you get caught inside… well survival mode is pretty much your only option. There’s something about sucking 10 feet below level that perfectly demonstrates how little you want to wipeout in this spot.

4.  El Gringo

I don’t think there’s a wave that has injured as many riders in as little competitions. Basically if the surf is going off, you can get hurt. The water is cold, the reef is shallow and the price to play can be dangerously high. The funny part is that standup surfers had an event here a couple of years back and aren’t too keen to go back whereas bodyboarders take every event to push bigger, harder, deeper and crazier than ever thought of.

3.  Pipeline

Everyone dreams of surfing pipe… until they see a closeout set wipe the lineup clean. Pipe is a high-stakes high-reward wave. You can get the barrel of your life, launch the air of the year or die.

2.  Mavericks

Mavericks shall unfortunately be known as the place where Mark Foo died. Murky cold water, a shady ass paddle out, sharks, phantom sets, undertows… you name the hazard and Mavs has it in spades.

1.  Shark Island

No other spot on Earth can turn as nasty as fast as the Island. Mutant lips, shallow barnacle reef, the wave comes from way too deep way too fast for it to be predictable… and that’s the danger. The difference between bliss and obliteration is a matter of inches and milliseconds. The worst part, while you’re on a 5 foot face, you are clueless that the wave has a six foot thick lip. Pound for pound, there is no wave scarier than the Island.

75 riders who have changed the face of bodyboarding - 25-21

25. Brian Wise

The Wiseguy was known in the 90’s as a bit of a hardass in competition, someone whom you wouldn’t necessarily enjoy having in a heat because you’d know he’d hassle the hell out of you. That same intensity went into his riding. His very peculiar style was focused on big waves and power carves and he pretty much made the carve-to-spinner combo a staple. His reverse spinners blew chunks of water, he rode big waves and true to his reputation of going big, look to his waves at the two Pipe contests which he competed in which the waves were massive. In one he got a ten second beatdown and in this year’s Pipe contest his air drop is on more than a few people’s desktop backgrounds. On land he’s mellowed out considerably, finding Christ and living in Hawaii… in the water he’s still one of the most fearless guys ever to hop on a sponge.

24. Alexandre de Pontes

The beginning of the Brazilian revolution occured thanks to this man. Xandinho rode big, boosted and had style, poise and charisma. He also liked big hollow waves. Sound familiar? Xandinho fell victim to a car crash and the sport lost one of its best ambassadors. But the deed had been done… the doors to the world stage had been blasted down, and thanks to him Brazilian hellmen have been wreaking havoc on the world of bodyboarding ever since.

23. Pat Caldwell

Co-inventor of the El Rollo, lanky, long, kooky and crazy. Pat is a hell man and for a time he just wanted to get demolished by the biggest waves in existence. His closeouts at Waimea still hold water as some of the craziest slabs I’ve ever seen anyone willingly take on the head. Apart from that, Pat was recently elected as the new General Manager of the IBA World Tour. Pat is a guy who loves the water, loves big waves and the influence of him and other judges and riders on scoring criteria are helping push bodyboarding to the next level… which is several feet above standup surfing’s BS melodrama.

22. Kyle Maligro

Maligs rode dropknee the way you wanted to ride dropknee, rode standup the way you wanted to ride standup and rode prone the way you wanted to ride prone. The most talented of the original Kauai Classic Team, Kyle is one of the top 3 riders to influence my brother in his approach to riding prone and dropknee. In a time when people were scrounging ugly ass reverse rollo attempts, Maligs was launching them so perfect that you were torn between loving him for being so good and hating him for making it look so easy. If I needed to use one word to describe Maligs I don’t have to think too much… seamless.

21. Chad Barba

16^th century hermits have shit on Chad Barba when it comes to living off the beaten path. Made famous for his exploits on the Inside and Crave the Cave, Chad’s Kong-sized-balls approach to the Wedge and huge Puerto showcases that on waves hellmen would pull into to score the barrel of their lives, he’d be gunning to hit the end section and soar 15 feet in the air.

75 riders who have changed the face of bodyboarding - 35-31

35. Amaury Lavernhe

The 2010 Champ from Reunion Island is REAL good as a rider. Up to that point, all world champions had been from Brazil, Hawaii, Australia or South Africa (which only has one world champion). Amaury showed that growing up in a French tropical island paradise can and will produce a phenom. A well rounded rider who can bust in any condition, Amaury’s approach is deliberate to the point where you see his eyes on a wave and you know what he wants to do.

34. Dave Hubbard

If the secret of eternal life is joy and versatility, Dubb is a modern day sage. His joie de vivre is second to none and his skills are insane, just barely missing out last year on becoming the first bodyboarder to ever take out the dropknee and prone events in a Grand Slam Event. He’s good in the barrel, he’s good in the pocket, he’s good in the air, he’s good on the knee, he’s good standup and let’s face it… the best claims in existence are his. It’s not that Fu-Manchu would be proud of brother dub, it’s that cosmically speaking he is the fusion between Fu-Manchu and Charlie Chaplin with the genetic talent from having a last name Hubbard.

33. Andrew Lester

Pocket surfing isn’t easy… ask any rider… except Lester. The guy makes pocket surfing look downright preschool easy. A standup guy with great style, he’s someone you love to watch in big hollow surf just to see what he’ll put out of his ass and make look too easy.

  

32. Stephanie Peterson

Another female Brazilian charging woman, Stephanie was part of an elite crew that pushed women’s bodyboarding lightyears into the future, boosting, busting and committing to critical maneuvers a lot of guys would shy away from. So how good was she? How good does winning Pipe six times make you? 

31. Carol Philips

Big wave female hell woman. She was the first woman to compete against guys in Pipeline and to boot, she founded the World championship of Women’s Bodyboarding. Think Billy Jean King in terms of impact in female sports, and you get the idea of the importance of Carol Philips. As if that wasn’t enough, she was appointed in 2005 to the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women. There’s girl power… then there’s woman power. Carol embodies the latter.

75 riders who have changed the face of bodyboarding - 40-39

40. Uri Valadao

Brazilian world champ that can win in any condition and will whip a wave into submission. In small waves he’s relentless and he can pull out a 7 pt. ride out of mush. The thing is that he performs in all conditions, and that’s a rare feat and something truly commendable because whether it’s 1ft or 12ft, he can win and look good. 

39. Aka Lyman

Backside dropknee riding is probably what it is today thanks to Aka. Rarely does anyone even think of getting the extension he could get on a snap. His frontside attack was also insane, but his backside was just mental, period. One of the most rounded riders ever to put a knee up.

38. Isabela Sousa

What do Jared Houston and Isabela Sousa have in common? In 2011, they both launched and landed their first air reverses in competition. Isabela is fast, fierce and will make boys cry for putting any skills they have to shame in any condition. 

37. Dave Ballard

An Australian dropknee legend, count how many times he hit the lip and landed. The guy was insane. That he also pulled off full extension layback slides and had a hell of a backhand carve might almost prompt you to forget he could charge prone. For evidence of greatness, look for Underground Tape Vids 4 and 5 and bring a bib. Oh, and did I mention he also charges prone? Then double check him.

 36. Karla Costa

Brazilian world champ who can charge. Sound oddly familiar. Karla is one of those pro women’s bodyboarders who took time to make a family and come back to pick up where she left off. Great style, great spinners, has power, charges and all the while seemed super shy, well that is until the horn in a heat sounded, then you were screwed.

75 riders who have changed the face of bodyboarding - 45-41

45.     Phyllis Dameron

God Dameron could this woman charge! While big wave surfing is normally a testosterone driven realm, Phyllis charged Waimea on a sponge before it was even fashionable to do so. Like many of the female elite, she made guys envy not only her skills, but her balls.

44.     Jay Reale

Jay is a nice guy. If you have to ask why, you’ve obviously never met, spoken with or corresponded via email with him. I was able to enjoy a couple of email exchanges a couple of years back and I’m still grateful for him being so nice to a grom. Now that doesn’t mean he didn’t charge. His ARS’s are damn text book and his reverse bashes against the foam still remain on my wishlist of moves I wish I could pull off.

43.     JP Patterson

Winner of the first Pipe contest and pioneer of the wounded seagull stance, JP wasn’t aesthetically pleasing to some, but I always found his style interesting because it was so different, going against supposedly established core fundamentals and still charging and charging BIG. He survived one of the biggest closeout sets in Waimea history and was always known for going bigger than most people would even dare to draw on their notebooks.

42.     Cavin Yap

Although it feels like standup bodyboarding is an almost lost artform, I couldn’t help but remember Cavin while compiling this list because he threw chunks of water that standup surfers would kill to be able to do. He rode standup with the best most polished style and his carves were just killer.

41.     Paulo Barcellos

Brazilian world champ who busts… sound familiar? Like the best Brazo surfers, he was competitive, hungry and would do whatever it took to get the win, in the process becoming the second Brazilian to win at Pipe.

75 riders who have changed the face of bodyboarding - 50-46

50.     Lanson Ronquilio

Two words: Front Flip. One of the best attempts EVER at this move came from Ronk wayyyyyyyyyyyyy back when Bodyboarding Video Magazine was around. The fact that he was the pretty boy incarnation of the Bad Boy logo just added to the appeal. If I’m not mistaken, one year he was voted the most desirable male bodyboarder or something like that… Total WTF but it showed that when Lanson walked down the beach, people from all genders of life were watching. Add to this his stylish segments with his classic style, and you couldn’t help but want to do rolls coming out of the barrel, ARS’s and air forwards like Lanson.

49.     Hauoli Reeves

The original badboy of bodyboarding, Hauoli quite honestly didn’t give a shit about anything. He was there to have a good time, blast big airs and launch big rolls. Cousin to the famous actor who once coined the phrase, “I know Kung-Fu”, Hauoli had a tendency to cause mayhem and even get supposedly banned from Pipe, clashing with Pipe Legend Derek Ho in the water and on land. It’s not that there’s one reason he was called Rude Boy, it’s that he WAS the Rude Boy. Regardless, fun guy to watch in the water, as long as you weren’t getting your leash pulled by him.

48.     Adam Wingnut Smith

Another of those great Aussie young grom phenoms. Distinctive styles really help people stand out and at Shark Island, his inverts were my favorite to watch. Made famous by Strohy’s videos, Wingnut showed a knack for going big and deep and even wiping out with style.

47.     Fred Booth

Hawaii underground defined. Just when you thought Booth was out of the limelight, he’d pull off a crazy backdoor DK barrel that would get everyone hollering or pull off a backflip high enough to register on radar. Great on the knee and prone, Fred was a character and I knew of people who would replay his waves in a segment cursing that there wasn’t a full blown chunk of Fred to froth over.

46.     Vicki Gleeson

The first Australian charging woman I know of. That Vicki was easy on the eyes should never fool anyone watching, she could charge and was one of the first women chargers to show that power and grace can definitely get along. In addition, she married Jay Reale, the nicest guy in bodyboarding (which is saying something since so many spongers are so nice) thus becoming one half of the most famous couple in bodyboarding.

75 riders who have changed the face of bodyboarding - 55-51

55.     Sean Virtue

Taking over for Australia as the air guy per excellence, Sean has made me say holy shit way more times than I care to admit. His aerial antics are elite level and if there’s a bodyboarding vid, odds are his section will absorb most of the views.

54.     Matt Percy

Shark Island is one of the waves that most intimidates me just from watching it. It only takes half a second for an epic wave to morph into a four headed monster. The spot has put more people into traction than we’d like for it to be the case, including Wazza, who luckily made a comeback. During all of this Matt Percy scored barrel, after barrel, after barrel at the infamous spot. Simply put, if you want a blueprint on how to ride a tube at the Island, you watch Percy.

53.     Warren “Wazza” Feinbeer / Christian “Rissole” Riggucini

Wazza’s exploits included a quote in a Strohy video saying “If I haven’t hit the reef in a session, I haven’t had a good surf.” In simple terms, the hellman nature of Aussie riders possibly has a lot to do with this crazy bastard and the waves he took off on at Shark Island. He had no consideration for consequences and he came close to paying big time. He fractured his back on a demented slab at Shark Island. Luckily, his resolve proved more than physical limitations and he made a recovery. Nowadays he still charges, but a lot more selectively.

For his part, Rissole was also a hell man who took off on anything that broke over reef, disregarding personal safety and the fear normal people would feel. He saw, he lined up and he chucked himself, no matter how unmake-able a wave looked. Between him and Wazza, they pushed riding on the Island to a whole new level while playing chicken with the reef every session just to show that there’s no comparison needed when you want to know who has the biggest balls in the lineup. There's a reason why these two guys tie for #53, thinking of one as a hellman at the Island without the other, just doesn't make sense.

52.     Jacob Reeves

Watch his segment in Revolution and tell me you don’t want to brave the murky waters of California. Big booster and a hell of a combination surfer that can squeeze as many quality moves as you can name into one wave, Jacob is possibly my favorite surfer out of California.

51.     Harry Antipala

Fierce competitor who showed in this year’s Legends heat at Pipe why he was so damn good, Harry helped the Kauai Classic breakdown most people in heats thanks to teamwork in competition and triangle strategy that seemed pulled out of Phil Jackson’s playbook. The only person who was able to break the code was a wizard in his own right. His riding was smooth and stylish, relaxed and powerful, what else could you ask for?

75 riders who have changed the face of bodyboarding - 60 - 56

60.     Tim Jones

In the 90’s, Tim Jones was the Evil Knievel of the bodyboarding world thanks to ONE session at Waimea Shorebreak. With that session and the waves that graced many a cover, he not only inspired groms and pros to go apeshit on psycho slabs, he did what not many bodyboarders do, get the attention of passersby with his exploits. Nowadays, he’s one of the best water photogs in the business. Guess getting pounded like a cold beer on a hot day has its payoffs.

59.     Todd DeGraaf

Toddy DeGraaf inspired a whole generation of riders and is often cited by a bunch of top level Aussie riders as an inspiration. Naturally talented, fluid, good laying down and on the knee, Toddy appeared in a handful of vids and always seemed to pump people into surfing.

58.     Ben Holland

Underground Tapes Volume 4. Watch Ben’s segment and tell me you don’t want to hit the water and try something that’ll injure your back. He was young, brash, and rode fast and high. Apart from inspiring hordes of Aussie grommets, his segment in that video probably inspired a lot of riders in the world and his air forwards were some of the best.

57.     Glenda Koslowski

Part of the dominant elite Brazo women who took over the sport in the late 80’s and early 90’s, Glenda is an athletic phenom excelling in more sports than you’d care to guess. She was fast and powerful and along with a select elite, she helped define what women’s bodyboarding could be.

 56.     Chris Burkhart

Burks was the epitome of being a big bruddah. Although we should all focus on his skills and freakish flexibility, his weight does come to mind when you think of him because he showed that skill and desire are what should define us. Add to that a dropknee barrel he caught in a pipe contest and you can’t help but smile because of the guy. I mentioned the weight thing for one reason, I know 3 riders who have said he was the reason why they rode, because he inspired them to keep surfing even if they were overweight. If inspiration is power, Brotha Burkhart is one of our kings.

75 riders who have changed the face of bodyboarding - 65-61

65.     Nelz Velocido

Tell me you wouldn’t like a name as cool as Nelz Velocido. Hell, with a name like that you just have to itch to want to be a superhero, which is adequate since Nelz liked to launch. His projected forward airs still baffle me and his back flips were some of the best. 

64.     Simon Thorton

If there’s a big barrel to be had, Thorto is there. A hell charger who’s taken off on some of the heaviest barrels I’ve ever seen, Thorto is the essence of big wave tube riding combined with solid maneuvers.

63.     Brett Young

Brett Young was a character and part of the legendary Cronulla crew. He pulled into big pits, gave the finger to the establishment and would do anything for a good laugh… like shave someone’s eyebrow off. He died from a car crash in Japan but in his time alive, he did everything possible to get a rush and a laugh, be it pulling into insane slabs or eating Mos Burgers and looking for the deadly Razor Back (watch Underground Tapes segments to get the joke).

 

62.     Ross Hawke

The first Australian signature bodyboard was Rossie’s and for good reason, he charged, won a bunch of contests in Australia and regularly did well at Pipe, any sponger’s calling card. But when I think of Ross, I think of those classic expeditions to unknown places in Australia searching for huge waves to charge with the likes of Bullet.  

61.     Nicolas Capdeville

The first French guy I ever heard of bodyboarding was Nicolas and one of the biggest boosted rolls I’ve ever seen off the end bowl of Pipe is from this guy. He’s making a comeback and I think it’s interesting since surely thanks to his influence, other French guys got the idea to surf and make it to World Titledom.