WALKABOUT - The Songlines of Surfing with Robbie Page & Arnaud Mesteland

WALKABOUT began 20 years ago.    

 

At the age of 19, young Arnaud Mestelan left home to embark on his first solo surf trip.

On the platform at the train station in Biarritz, he met Robbie Page, an Australian pro surfer.

 

With his 10 years on the ASP Tour and his Pipe Masters title in 1988, Robbie was a surfing legend. At the time, he was living in France and was on his way home to Australia. After a few minutes chatting together, Robbie offered to take Arnaud with him on his trip. The two new friends spent more than three weeks together, surfing across New South Wales, before Arnaud set off on his own journey. 

 

Today, Arnaud is in his forties, has 3 children and runs the Aux Guides Baigneurs’ shop at Biarritz's Grande Plage. Since they met, Arnaud has always had the dream of one day returning to Australia to meet up with his buddy Robbie.

    

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Two decades after their original adventure together, Robbie and Arnaud are set to meet up again. Arnaud surprises Robbie at the National Aboriginal Surfing Championships at Bells Beach and together, they embark on a new road trip, in search of waves, community and connection to Country.    

 

Produced by OXBOW, the movie WALKABOUT: the Songlines of Surfing (42min) tells this story.

Photography by Thomas Lodin 

Filmed by Pierre Frechou / Alex Heitler / Matty Hannon / Jospeh Daniel

Teen is youngest British woman to surf Nazaré big waves

Robyn Larg surfed a wave of about 15ft (4.5m) on the Portuguese coast [Oscar James]

An 18-year-old from Scotland has become the youngest British woman to surf huge waves that break off Nazaré in Portugal.

Robyn Larg, from the Isle of Tiree, Argyll, surfed a wave of about 4.5m (15ft) on 15 February.

Her older brother Ben Larg was competing at the same location in the World Surf League Nazaré Tow Challenge.

The score he achieved riding swells of 25-35ft (7.5-10.5m) won him third place.

Robyn said she did not feel too nervous while breaking the record.

The first British woman to tackle the waves was Laura Crane, 29, from north Devon, last year.

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Ben and Robyn practised for a few days, before she built up the confidence to be towed out into the giant swell.

Robyn told BBC News: "It's difficult to describe the feeling of letting go of the rope and looking up at the wave.

"I kept getting waves and loved every minute of it."

Ben and Robyn were taught to surf in Tiree by their dad, Marti.

Robyn said her brother had also been a major influence on her surfing career.

She said: "What he has done has gone beyond what we could have thought could have been achieved.

"Coming from a tiny island in Scotland to go and surf the biggest wave in the world with the most accomplished big wave surfers is mind blowing and he has shown me that it's possible."

Ben has been riding the Nazaré surf for years, but this was his first time competing.

The area of coast is recognised as having some of the biggest waves in the world, and only a select few are invited to compete there.

Ben got the call up the night before after US surfer Garrett McNamara dropped out, leaving his last minute entry slot for the Scot to take.

He got paired up with fellow British surfer Andrew Cotton, and they took turns to score as high as they could.

Ben, a 20-year-old Red Bull athlete, said the late entry meant he did not have a chance to potentially spoil his performance by overthinking his tactics.

He secured third place individually and as part of a team.

Ben said: "Honestly, when I look at the rankings online, I don't think it's sunk in yet.

"It's crazy, it feels amazing."

Ben has ambitions to assemble his own team of surfers to tackle the world's biggest waves.

The siblings are believed to be the only brother and sister tow team in the world.

Towing involves using a water craft to pull a surfer out to sea to catch fast moving waves.

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Ben said he hoped to help Robyn to set more records.

He also plans to assemble a team so he can surf the biggest waves around the world, and try to find some new surfing opportunities in Scotland.

The Truth About Surfing Nazaré Safely - Sebastian Steudtner

Video by Sebastian Steudtner.

Welcome to the first episode of an exciting new series where I take you behind the scenes of my journey as a big wave surfer!

In this video, I’m sharing an essential part of my life on the water: safety training. From working with my dedicated safety team to collaborating with experts in cutting-edge technology, I’ll show you how I prepare to face the immense power of the ocean.

Big wave surfing isn’t just about chasing records—it’s about understanding and respecting the forces of nature. For me, safety is the foundation that allows me to push boundaries and ride waves that seem impossible. This episode is just the beginning of a series packed with insights into my training, challenges, and the incredible innovations that keep me moving forward.

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What’s coming next? Stay tuned for more episodes where I’ll dive deeper into my preparation, share stories from my career, and reveal how science and technology are helping redefine what’s possible in surfing.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss what’s next! 

Together, let’s explore the limits of human potential. 🌊

Just Now | Jordy Smith

Short film by Dane Staples.

"If this film makes people pumped to go surfing, I've done my job," - Jordy Smith.

 

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Photo Of The Day

California. Photo: @johnnyjungle_

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Lifeguards and surfers teamed up to save more than a dozen people after their boat capsized

Lifeguards and surfers teamed up in Ocean Beach to save over a dozen people after a suspected smuggling boat capsized near Saratoga Avenue. 

According to Lifeguard Lt. Rick Romero, a 25-foot cabin cruiser flipped after being struck by a wave around 7:40 a.m. Surfers jumped into action first, using their boards to assist people in the water, while lifeguards arrived moments later to perform multiple rescues.

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Lifeguards broke cabin windows to free two people trapped inside, and one unconscious individual was revived with CPR but later died at the hospital. Others were pulled from the water using rescue boats and paddle boards, while two more were saved from a nearby jetty.

Nine people were hospitalized, but the total number of passengers—estimated at 10-15 remains unclear. Some made it to shore on their own, while others walked away before federal authorities could arrive.

February 19, 2025 | SURFING BANZAI PIPELINE | PERFECT CONDITIONS (Barron Mamiya, Florence Brothers, And More)

Filmed on February 19, 2025 at Banzai Pipeline. The most perfect Pipeline conditions in a long time arrived today with wave heights in the 8-12ft range and offshore winds creating amazing and beautiful waves. Watch as John John Florence, Nathan Florence, Barron Mamiya, and many other pro surfers battle to get the waves of their lives!

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Timecodes! 0:00 - Luke Swanson 0:20 - Barron Mamiya 0:30 - John John Florence 0:45 - Nathan Florence 0:56 - Makana Pang 1:06 - Seth Moniz 1:31 - Makana Pang 1:43 - John John Florence 1:56 - Nathan Florence 2:11 - Makana Pang 2:25 - Tiger Doerner 2:39 - Seth Moniz 2:53 - Billy Kemper 3:08 - Jamie O’Brien 3:18 - Noah Beschen 3:32 - Ivan Florence 3:49 - Michael Ho 3:59 - Ivan Florence 4:22 - John John Florence 4:32 - Koa Smith 4:42 - Legend Chandler 4:55 - Jamie O’Brien 5:06 - Ivan Florence 5:16 - Jamie O’Brien 5:30 - Nathan Florence 5:46 - Koa Smith 5:54 - Nathan Florence 6:04 - Ivan Florence 6:14 - Seth Moniz 6:41 - Barron Mamiya 6:54 - Seth Moniz 7:19 - Barron Mamiya 7:34 - John John Florence 7:45 - Luke Tema 8:11 - Zeke Lau 8:43 - Barron Mamiya 8:54 - Koa Smith 9:05 - Luke Tema 9:13 - Ivan Florence 9:25 - Girl Goes Backdoor 9:35 - Jeff Hubbard 9:56 - Maddix Alotis 10:06 - John John Florence 10:17 - Legend Chandler 10:31 - Party Wave 10:42 - Dave Hubbard 10:53 - Nathan Florence 11:05 - Maddix Alotis 11:30 - Luke Swanson 11:43 - Mikey Redd 11:51 - Zeke Lau 12:20 - Maikai Bourdine 12:45 - John John Florence

Griffin Colapinto x Hawaii 2025 Edit

Video by Cola Bros.

A Hawaii edit from the first leg of the Tour. 

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The Surfboard that Changed My Surfing Life

Video by Surf n Show Reviews.

In this episode, Noel takes us on a personal journey about how one surfboard dramatically changed his surfing life. After riding thrusters for over 30 years, Noel shares the eye-opening experience of riding a twin fin for the very first time. He explains the initial humbling experience of not knowing how to handle a twin fin board and being completely clueless about the right twin fin templates to use in order to build confidence and control the overwhelming speed he felt after just a few sessions.

Noel goes on to describe how this twin fin surfboard pushed him in ways that made him a better surfer. He admits that it would have been easier to stick with thrusters and protect his ego, but instead, he embraced the challenge as an opportunity to improve. This experience forced him to refine his rail game and develop smoother transitions between maneuvers by riding twin fin boards from some of the best shapers in the world.

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In the end, Noel’s journey continues as he relentlessly works to perfect his surfing, diving deep into board and fin testing, which leads him to designing his own fin templates and collaborating with renowned shapers in the industry to design surfboards. 

Watch the full episode to hear Noel’s personal story of growth, learning, and how this transformation has made him a more confident and well-rounded surfer.