Watch: Kai Lenny at Mavericks // “Black Walls of Doom”

Ben Matson picture
Ben Matson (thermalben)
Swellnet Dispatch

Kai Lenny and friends take on the biggest swell in years to hit the California coast.

Comments

thermalben's picture
thermalben's picture
thermalben Sunday, 30 Dec 2018 at 9:01am

That first on-board GoPro angle where he’s coming off the bottom, with the lip lurching behind, is insane.. probably the best vision from the nose of a board I’ve seen.

freeride76's picture
freeride76's picture
freeride76 Sunday, 30 Dec 2018 at 9:06am

fucking crazy how crowded that surf is.
surely must be heaps of spectators out there?

Kai Lenny toying with it.

Blowin's picture
Blowin's picture
Blowin Sunday, 30 Dec 2018 at 9:27am

Blows me away too that there could be so many proper chargers out there. But you never know what people are capable of when you see them floating around on a sunny 2 foot day at a beachie.

A fella I know got the call up from a mate in Hawaii to go surf that recent swell on the North shore Oahu outer reefs and he went . A couple of days notice , no training and he’s gone from toy waves around the Gong to paddling outside Himalayas or Alligators or some other such death reef on a borrowed 11 foot board.

People are freaks.

Old mate Kai Henry is just playing out there though. Shit is crazy.

I swear I’d have a heart attack if one of those brown water beasts broke anywhere near me. No exaggeration.

crg's picture
crg's picture
crg Monday, 31 Dec 2018 at 8:55pm

Like most places now with the "Big Wave Tour" promotion and the advent of safety vests etc it's gotten ridiculous. Even back in the late 90's when it was the local boys and the Santa Cruz boys predominately towing you would get random guys from middle America turn up saying that they want to surf "The Maverick" after seeing it on cable tv. Access when it's big is almost impossible without a boat or ski so this used to somewhat control the crowd with restrictions on launching from the harbour but local politics around the control of the harbour (a long story) has limited the effectiveness of this from the locals in recent years. Every long term local is seriously concerned at the number of people and the skill level of a lot of people turning up to surf there. But you're right FR...there's usually a lot of spectators in the channel...probably 30-40%.

Kham's picture
Kham's picture
Kham Sunday, 30 Dec 2018 at 9:28am

Kai Lenny is just on another level. Why they were not running the Big Wave event is unknown, but it looks like if K.L is catching the waves he is pretty much unbeatable.

regydogy's picture
regydogy's picture
regydogy Sunday, 30 Dec 2018 at 10:24am

mad , and good to have some decent music to it , music was not credited so here it is . them bones , by alice in chains . there you go hipsters get some rock up ya , funking pansies ..

Island Bay's picture
Island Bay's picture
Island Bay Sunday, 30 Dec 2018 at 6:10pm

Alice in Chains were great (Jerry Cantrell a beacon of taste and restraint in the over the top days of guitar wanking), but why is everybody so afraid of hipsters? They don't give a fuck about ageing rockers, so maybe leave them in peace?

Spuddups's picture
Spuddups's picture
Spuddups Wednesday, 2 Jan 2019 at 7:33am

Don't be complacent about hipsters Island Bay. They must be stopped before they take over the world. It's time for the people of the free world to unite against this deadly menace. Scientific studies show that 98.34% of all hipsters are scum. I saw a hipster riding a SUP the other day. Now if that ain't a call to arms I don't know what is.

Island Bay's picture
Island Bay's picture
Island Bay Wednesday, 2 Jan 2019 at 9:01am

As usual I bow and grovel before your superior scientific argument, Spud.
I do, however, sincerely doubt the SUP/hipster connection. Sounds fishy to me.

And hipsters, bless their oily beards, will never take over anything, at least not in the longer run. They are just a passing fad, and as such harmless.

Anyway, I digress. Grab your pitchforks and muskets, to battle we go!

trevbucky's picture
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trevbucky Thursday, 3 Jan 2019 at 9:51pm

Well I hate to break it to you spudlips, but Kia Lenny also rips on a SUP, in fact, that’s where he learnt to surf waves! I really don’t get this whole boardism thing, shortboard, longboard SUP .. who cares man, it’s whatever floats your boat!

Spuddups's picture
Spuddups's picture
Spuddups Friday, 4 Jan 2019 at 7:22am

Unfortunately for Kai Lenny on Planet Spuddups he would be lined up and shot. Rules are rules you understand. There is no excuse for riding a SUP, other than perhaps being mentally deranged or something.

You should visit Planet Spuddups some time. You'd like it. Hipsters are banned for starters. All natural footers are sent to re-education camps and forced to surf goofy. I'm the glorious leader of course, and I have an om-pah band on hand at all times. Ever had one of those? You should try it some time.

Garryh's picture
Garryh's picture
Garryh Sunday, 30 Dec 2018 at 11:10am

The 'Acid Drop' at about 2.48 is well...words fail me how about MAD.

Stef_Olly's picture
Stef_Olly's picture
Stef_Olly Sunday, 30 Dec 2018 at 5:47pm

Mate I was going to say the same thing that is absolutely off the hook!

Sealife's picture
Sealife's picture
Sealife Sunday, 30 Dec 2018 at 2:53pm

Would love to see a forward mounted cam on waves like Mavs and Jaws to see what a barrel of that size looks like inside. Cause I’ll definitely never want to see it up close and personal.

JosephStalin's picture
JosephStalin's picture
JosephStalin Sunday, 30 Dec 2018 at 3:33pm

Weak

goofyfoot's picture
goofyfoot's picture
goofyfoot Sunday, 30 Dec 2018 at 8:36pm

Scary looking beast of a wave isn’t it.
That last drop was reminiscent of Dorians at Jaws a few years ago..
How’s that thing Eli Olsen pulled in to!

JackStance's picture
JackStance's picture
JackStance Sunday, 30 Dec 2018 at 10:37pm

Prob my favourite clip. Finally, I can keep the sound on.

Deathmecanix's picture
Deathmecanix's picture
Deathmecanix Monday, 31 Dec 2018 at 6:56am

omfg. That song just awoke memories of better times when we would surf all our spots totally uncrowded, head home listen to alice in chains, get ripped and chill. RIP Layne Staley. Sick waves too. Love how the old and new have been combined.

regydogy's picture
regydogy's picture
regydogy Monday, 31 Dec 2018 at 10:14am

yeah bud , a good combo in that clip deathman for us guys in there 50s , the 90s rocked , crazy times in and out of the water ., there was no political correctness like now , i am sooo sorry for hurting any hipsters feelings with my over the top comment , i hang my head in shame island bay boy .

roubydouby's picture
roubydouby's picture
roubydouby Monday, 31 Dec 2018 at 4:02pm

Same choice of tunes as the Mavs section on Riding Giants (I think Riding Giants)

evosurfer's picture
evosurfer's picture
evosurfer Tuesday, 1 Jan 2019 at 5:05am

Kai Lenny is on another level.
Real music was refreshing

Clam's picture
Clam's picture
Clam Wednesday, 2 Jan 2019 at 10:39am

The last takeoff !

sunhil's picture
sunhil's picture
sunhil Friday, 4 Jan 2019 at 9:14am

The fastest 3:16 of surfing footage I've seen in a long time.