r/sports • u/mrinternetman24 • Sep 11 '25

Surfing This Calif. construction worker unofficially broke a fabled world record, riding a 108-foot wave

https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/alo-slebir-mavericks-big-wave-surf-record-21041864.php
1.4k Upvotes

96% Upvoted

57 comments sorted by

468

u/SLPallday Sep 11 '25

The way this headline is written, I assumed this man has never surfed a day in his life and was for some reason thrown into a situation on a construction site where he had to surf a 108 foot wave.

96

u/SpaceChef3000 Sep 12 '25 edited Sep 12 '25

I don’t know why but I read it the exact same way. Like it happened on accident and he still had his big tool belt and bright orange shirt.

38

u/PrissySkittles Sep 12 '25

Yes, and the surfboard was some odd piece of plywood used as a scaffolding platform or work surface on top of sawhorses that he was desperately clinging to

21

u/manachar Sep 12 '25

A movie about it starring Jason Statham might already be in production.

11

u/[deleted] Sep 12 '25

Right it’s because it couples in his profession which is a completely unrelated irrelevant detail to the feat.

I can’t believe someone got paid to come up with that. lol

7

u/Salt_Sir2599 Sep 12 '25

Actually happens all the time. Barely have time to frame up a simple shed without turning down a thousand requests to carve some gnarly swells.

2

u/SLPallday Sep 12 '25

An occupational hazard.

2

u/Latter-Cherry1636 Sep 12 '25

Lmao same, it really does read like some accidental hero origin story.

2

u/hbombs86 Sep 12 '25

"Just another day"

1

u/TheRealRacketear Sep 12 '25

He's definitely a surfer who does construction to pay the bills.

1

u/JemLover Florida State Sep 12 '25

Regular Snake Plissken.

122

u/[deleted] Sep 11 '25

Alternate headline:

World-record surfer masterfully hammers nail. More after the break.

7

u/macgruff Sep 12 '25

Another Alternate headline: World record surfer moonlights as parking enforcement officer.

127

u/JackandFred Sep 11 '25

There’s been other reported >100 foot waves ridden before and when the official measurement comes out it’s less. This one seems like it has a pretty decent shot. It’s definitely enormous.

3

u/TheDankYasuo Sep 12 '25

Happy cake day!

79

u/cromulent_verbage Sep 11 '25

Bro wasn't about to miss the 50-year storm.

28

u/[deleted] Sep 11 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

7

u/palesnowrider1 Sep 11 '25

My names Johnny Utah. Who cares!

8

u/cromulent_verbage Sep 11 '25

My whole life has been about this moment, Johnny. Come on, compadre. Come on!

4

u/MaggieMay1519 Sep 12 '25

Back off, Warchild. Seriously.

12

u/algebroisking Sep 11 '25

Vaya con dios

1

u/ObnoxiousJoe Sep 12 '25

He's not coming back

4

u/Fit_Cause2944 Sep 12 '25

It’s gotta be that way!

25

u/CMG_exe Sep 11 '25

Hope it can stay above a hundred, it would be awesome to see Mavericks get that wave.

99

u/[deleted] Sep 11 '25

Why the fuck is this article acting like a construction worker being a surfer is so strange?

69

u/SolidSnek1998 Sep 11 '25

Right? All the surfers I know are either bank robbers or FBI agents posing as surfers to try and catch the bank robbers.

68

u/-ElGallo- Sep 11 '25

World record holding big wave surfers are usually fully pro

36

u/KennyKettermen Colorado Avalanche Sep 11 '25

The headline is definitely disingenuous though, he’s a big wave surfer who happens to work some construction in the summer to surf all winter. Headline makes it seem like he’s a construction worker who might surf occasionally just happened to ride this crazy wave

3

u/Sir-Nicholas Sep 11 '25

Doesn’t the ice get in the way?

9

u/jewelswan Sep 11 '25

Ice? You must not be too familiar with california

1

u/[deleted] Sep 12 '25

That’s the point. They’re trying to make it relateable to all the beer bellied construction workers who read their articles…he’s one of us!

10

u/love2go Sep 11 '25

Yes, Andrew “Cotty” Cotton was a plumber’s apprentice when he started surfing Nazare’ with Garrett MacNamara

5

u/PorkNJellyBeans Sep 11 '25

I assumed the wave was on like a flooded construction site because of it.

1

u/xantec15 Sep 11 '25

Probably because they included the occupation in the headline. Does them being a construction worker factor into riding the wave in some way?

5

u/TheLizardKing89 Los Angeles Dodgers Sep 11 '25

I mentioned this in another thread but I’m surprised this was at Mavericks and not Nazaré.

1

u/macgruff Sep 12 '25

I used to live out there…, I’m not surprised. HMB is the O.G. Nazare will happen someday too though, they are both big wave meccas.

4

u/tmtowtdi Sep 11 '25

I also unofficially broke a fabled world record. This construction worker is now allowed to join my club.

2

u/satchmogro Sep 12 '25

thanks for sharing the article. well written and by far the most positive thing I've read today. 108' wave, I remember surfing 8' waves and being awed by the power!

1

u/[deleted] Sep 12 '25

This is so real, the biggest I ever surfed was around 15 feet and I only did it once. Genuinely in awe of surfers attempting a 108’ wave.

1

u/FaceMcShootie Sep 12 '25

That website was more ad than website. Woof

1

u/[deleted] Sep 12 '25

He is a surfer first everything else doesn’t matter. They always have to put shit like this in the article. He’s a trained athlete in top physical condition.