Watch: Surfer Snags 45-Second Barrel from the World’s Longest Wave

After a long slumber, the world’s longest (barreling sandbar) wave woke up.

Skeleton Bay, the mythical lefthand pointbreak on southwest Africa’s Namibian coast, roared back to life recently, and a handful of tube-hunting, globe-trotting surfers were on hand to welcome its return and participate in the inaugural Skeleton Bay Shootout.

Check out the entire highlight reel below.

For a little more info on the contest format, here’s from the video description:

“The inaugural Skeleton Bay Shootout presented by Monster Energy took place over three days in late June in non-stop three-to-six foot barrels. The specialty event looks to recognize the standout surfers of the swell at arguably the best wave in the world and the rules are simple – show up and pull in.”

Over the past couple weeks, we’d seen snippets of the swell that resurrected Skeleton Bay, since the last time it cranked back in 2019. Like a nine-minute clip of absolutely pumping, nonstop, mindboggling tubes, courtesy of Nic Von Rupp.

About the contest, South African surfer, Eli Beukes, added:

“The Skeleton Bay Shootout is a peer-judged event and it’s pretty underground. No-ones really knows when it will happen, it’ll just pop-up depending on the swell and whoever is there is there. It’s pretty cool because it’s mostly going by word of mouth and whoever has been the surfer of the swell or gets the best barrel will get a bit of a cash prize at the end.”

In the end, it was South African Jordy Maree who was the unanimous winner of the Wave of the Swell award, thanks to a never-ending, multi-sectioned drainer (6:57 mark above).

“It was so long,” Maree said. “I was so deep. Just…the whole way. I think I got it from…halfway? Probably like a 45-second barrel? [Laughs.]”

And stay tuned for more Shootouts to come.

“This was essentially a dry-run for the concept,” says event co-founder Will Bendix. “We’re planning a series of Shootouts based on the same idea at some of the most incredible waves around the world in 2024 and looking to bump up the prize money significantly. The prizes are a nice way to recognise who was charging but it’s really not about the money at the end of the day. There’s always so much excitement when waves like this are firing and anybody who gets a good wave out there is a winner. The Shootout is essentially a celebration of that.”

Skeleton Bay Shootout Winners

Wave of the Swell NAM$10 000

Jordy Maree

Surfer of the Swell NAM$10 000

Max Elkington

Standout Woman NAM$5 000

Nadia Estroba

Standout Local NAM$5 000

Damien Lackey

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