In the movie Point Break, Patrick Swayze’s character Bodhi explains a major misconception about surfing to Keanu Reeves’ Johnny Utah – “Some people just live to get radical, they don’t see the spiritual side of it.”
On the surface, HBO’s new docuseries 100 Foot Wave could be written off as a series “just” about surfer Garrett McNamara (and others) chasing big waves around the world and finding a legendary 100-foot wave in the small coastal town of Nazare, Portugal. And had 100 Foot Wave been a two hour film, it very easily could’ve been a story of people looking to get radical, riding these breathtaking, skyscraper-sized waves, all captured in glorious high definition.
Yet the decision by director Chris Smith (American Movie) to tell Garrett McNamara’s story over a six-episode television series – as opposed to a two-hour surf film – allows Smith to dive into the spiritual side of things. Smith – much like McNamara later in the series – is not here to tell the story of these gigantic waves, but of the men and women who ride them. The story of that little speck of a person in a photo or film of a big wave is often as impressive as these natural aquatic wonders.
When telling the big wave story, there is no better person to focus on than McNamara. He’s a wildly fascinating and intensely driven human being who is determined to not only prove himself within the surfing community, but also fulfill a spiritual and emotional journey that began during his turbulent childhood. He’s a captivating person and as the series progresses, you slowly find out how this man’s mind works, and you desperately want to find out what drives him – even in the face of soul and body crushing adversity. This experience in Nazare isn’t just about him conquering the biggest wave ever surfed, it’s about his growth and evolution as a human being.
Yet, McNamara’s journey to ride the 100 Foot Wave isn’t just his story to be told. This story is as much about Garrett as it is his wife Nicole, his original surf partners Al Mennie and Andrew Cotten, McNamara’s family, and other big wavers who’ve encountered the waves in Nazare and how this impacted their lives. It’s a story about the little town of Nazare, Portugal and how McNamara and his team worked to legitimize the town as a big wave destination, despite backlash from the established surf scene.
This is why 100 Foot Wave is an absolute must-watch series, and likely the reason HBO just green-lit it for a second season. This isn’t just a surf film that makes you “ooh” and “ahh” over gorgeous footage but is ultimately just a bunch of thrilling shots with no substance to them. This series really, as Bodhi once said, taps into the spiritual side of surfing and keeps you, as an audience, wanting more after every episode ends.
100 Foot Wave is now streaming on HBO Max, it airs Sundays on HBO.
