100 Foot Wave: Where Are The Surfers Now?

With HBO’s ‘100 Foot Wave‘ living up to its title in every way conceivable, we get an authentic insight into the sport of surfing through the eyes of those who’ve been utterly devoted to it for years. Amongst them are thus not just long-standing professional athletes or legends on water but also rising youngsters, all of whom hope to prove their mettle on the biggest, coldest, wildest swells. So now that both seasons 1 and 2 of this incredible original have premiered on our screens, let’s find out precisely what some of its leading cast members have been up to these days, shall we?

 Garrett McNamara is Actively Supporting Surfing Community

Garrett is arguably the biggest name in big wave surfing thanks to his stints on monstrous barrels at Jaws and Nazerre and his world record for the largest surge ever ridden (2013). It is no surprise that even though he’s not standing on boards much anymore owing to his fitness issues and dedication to family, he’s still highly active in the community. In fact, the eco-friendly Hawaii-Portugal split resident tows for his friends, offers a lot of support to youngsters, directs a few competitions, and promotes the sport through his platform.

Laird Hamilton is Pioneering and Promoting Surfing

If we’re being honest, Laird is no less of a pioneer in the surfing world than his fellow athletes since he’s an active rider and co-inventor of the entire concept of tow-in surfing. Plus, he has penned three books — ‘Force of Nature: Mind, Body, Soul, and, of course, Surfing’ as well as ‘Liferider: Heart, Body, Soul, and Life Beyond the Ocean.’ Laird makes several public/television appearances to let his guiding genius of board sports shine through and often serves as an action sports model and actor.

As if this isn’t enough, Laird is a philanthropist as well; he continuously works with non-profits such as Surfrider Foundation, Race Across America, Pipeline for a Cure (for Cystic Fibrosis, Rain Catcher, Muscular Dystrophy), and the City of Hope (for Cancer) to help other lead a happy, healthy life. Coming to the public figure’s personal standing, it appears he, his wife, professional volleyball player Gabrielle Reece, and their two young daughters currently divide their time between Kauai, Hawaii, and Malibu, California, where they chase new adventures every single day.

Andrew “Cotty” Cotton is Engaging With Family and Community

While the 2020-2021 season wasn’t too great for Cotty, considering his divorce and the Covid-19 pandemic keeping him away from his kids, the ensuing seasons have been much better. After all, he has not only found love again in professional skier Justine Blanc, but he also manages to make time for his daughter Honey and son Ace while maintaining his standing as a Red Bull-signed big wave surfer. Moreover, it’s imperative to note that the Devon, England, native is even a Saltrock Clothing ambassador, a Dryrobe ambassador, an outdoor adventurer, and a public speaker currently based in Nazaré, Portugal.

Maya Gabeira is Traveling Globally to Chase Massive Swells

Although we do not see Maya in ‘100 Foot Wave’ season 2, this Rio de Janeiro, Brazil native has unwaveringly continued her quest to chase massive swells across the globe. Whether in her homeland, Portugal, Lebanon, or anywhere in Europe, she’s always ready to travel if she’ll get to spend some time on the water doing what she loves best — riding. Though we should mention this 2-time World Record holder, UNESCO champion, and Oceana board member is the proud author of ‘Aya and the Beast’ and the Founder/CEO of her beauty brand Blue Aya.

Rodrigo Koxa is Training Hard on Big Waves Today

As a self-proclaimed extreme waterman with a WSL World Championship and the world record for the largest wave ever surfed in Nazaré (2017) already under his belt, Rodrigo is incredible. Thus, he is still extensively training and doing his best to outshine every big wave imaginable by honing his barrels, 360 turns, and much more on them at the most intricate level. As for Rodrigo’s personal standing, from what we can tell, he’s happily married to Psychologist Professor Dr. Aline Cacozzi, with whom he resides in the coastal town of Guarujá near São Paulo, Brazil.

Justine Dupont is Balancing Professional and Personal Life Now

Owing to everything Justine has professionally achieved in the last few years alone, she’s much more than a mere athlete — she inspires female surfers worldwide. That’s because her performances do not rival but are often better than those of her male surfers, making it no surprise she’s a Multiple time World Champion of the XXL Awards, 2019 World Champion in Stand Up Paddling, and a four-time Vice World Champion.

This inspirational public speaker even has Red Bull, Adidas, Manera, and Breitling as her current sponsors, with the help of whom she continues to be the water woman she has always aspired to be. Coming to Justine’s personal life, it appears as if she’s still happily involved with adventurer, bodysurfer, lifeguard, and tower Fred David — they seemingly split their time between Seignosse, France, and Nazaré, Portugal.

Antonio “Tony” Laureano is Pushing Limits in Big Wave Surfing Now

There is a reason Tony is often referred to as a surfing prodigy: ever since he first picked up a board at the age of 4 or 5, he has had an unprecedented connection with the waters. His aspirations, hard work, and the support he has received from his family definitely play a role in the astronomical way he has improved in the past couple of years. Still, his respect for his job seemingly makes him stand out to nature too. Thus, of course, the Brazilian native turned Nazaré, Portugal resident, continues to serve as a proud big wave surfer, with an unofficial 101.4-foot wave already under his belt and no plans of slowing down or stopping anytime soon.

Michelle Des Bouillons is Running Surfboard and Athleisure Lines

If there’s one thing we know about Michelle Des Bouillons, it’s that she’s an extraordinarily determined woman with a stable career in not just the sporting but also the entertainment industry. After all, apart from being a professional surfer with a will to connect with the ocean every time she rides over, she’s reportedly even a model, a television host, and a public speaker.

As one of the only women surfing Nazaré these days, Michelle recently launched her own surfboard collection under the brand name Michelle Co. Her athleisure wear line is in collaboration with Born Living Yoga. As for her personal life, she’s blissfully engaged to fellow Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, native Ian Cosenza — they’d met when they were mere kids yet didn’t get together until the late 2010s.

CJ Macias is Advocating for Wellness and Sustainability

Although CJ is not a professional big wave surfer, he genuinely likes riding on massive swells all across the globe and hopes that one day he’ll be able to reach the pro, competitive level. Yet, other times, he seems perfectly content with helping people lead a better, healthier, safer lifestyle — just like his wellness and sustainability-driven sister Nicole McNamara, Garrett’s wife. The primary reason behind this is admittedly the mental blocks CJ has in place owing to how dangerous the waters can be, but he is gradually finding a balance between being an athlete and a holistic lifestyle advocate.

Kai Lenny is Balancing Athletic Pursuits with Family Life

While there was once a time we only knew Kai to be a rider devoted solely to accomplishing his personal goals, he is so much more as an athlete, a watersports enthusiast, and a family man. He’s a stand-up paddle (SUP) racer, a tow-in surfer, a windsurfer, a kitesurfer, a wing foiler, and a partner who continues to redefine what’s possible while being atop the world’s most daunting waves. The 30-year-old continues to chase his dreams of becoming the ultimate waterman to this day. Yet, he does it while helping out friends and prioritizing his Interior Designer wife, Molly Payne, plus their twin toddler daughters, Senna and Willa, in Maui, Hawaii.

Lucas “Chumbo” Chianca is Evolving as a Partner and Father

Last but not least, we have Brazilian professional surfer Chumbo, who has the 2017 WSL Nazaré Challenge, 2018 Mormaii Big Wave Challenge, and 2018 Puerto Escondido Cup already under his belt. Plus, in February 2020, he won the Nazaré Tow Surfing Partners Challenge with none other than arguably his biggest friendly competitor Kai Lenny by his side, as made evident in ‘100 Foot Wave.’ Therefore, of course, Chumbo continues to work hard as a professional athlete to this day, evolving as a romantic partner to Moni Sealves and a father to their 1-year-old daughter Maitê and their upcoming baby.

Read More: 17 Best Athlete Documentaries

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