Big wave surfers are getting younger. And they’re using all the innovation and knowledge gleamed from the two generations in front of them and are set to take it to a whole new level – or at least give us some imagery we’ve never seen before. We look at eight teenagers destined to change the big wave game.
João Mendonça
The 18-year-old had originally set his sights on an elite competitive career, and not without justification. His talent put him at the top end of Portugal’s next generation, and long-term sponsor Billabong backed him all the way. However, since he was 14, he’s been standing out at Portuguese heavy water spots like Coxos and Supertubos. More recently, he’s been taken under the wing of Nic von Rupp, and his big wave ceiling has risen considerably. 2023’s clip Jacarandá (above) showed his all-round surfing and tube-riding chops, but it was von Rupp’s recent Madeira Island clip of huge Jardim do Mar that illustrated why Mendonça should be leading the European big-wave charge for decades to come.
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Steve Roberson
Now a prehistoric 15, Maui’s Steve Roberson has largely dropped the prefix “Baby” to his name. That seems reasonable. On the last giant tow swell at Pe’ahi, Roberson rode a number of the biggest bombs, further cementing his legend-in-waiting status. When you are competently and confidently charging 60-foot Jaws like on the last Black Friday swell, being called Baby just doesn’t seem right. Having surfed the wave since he was 10, Roberson has been on a rapid trajectory, with each winter providing more evidence that his talent and courage might be a once-in-a-generation package. He has solid family support, mentorship from the best big wave surfers in the world and crucially a healthy respect for the wave and the work needed to thrive there. It seems his future and that of big-wave surfing might form a knot that could take a lifetime to untangle.
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Zoe Chait
Many teenage girls have posters of Taylor Swift staring at them from their bedroom walls. From Zoe Chait’s bed, she could see the exploding whitewater of Maverick’s in the distance. As it turns out, The Half Moon Bay resident couldn’t, well, shake it off.
A talented competitor, she has had a successful junior career, but has also gained a rep in serious waves. After logging experience on the big Steamer Lane days, she recently stepped up to Maverick’s. Bianca Valenti has taken an interest in the 15-year-old and was on hand to tow her into her first Maverick’s bomb. That wave was captured by Curt Myers, and when it went viral, Zoe’s younger brother, Brody, posted it on Instagram with a simple quote attached: “My sister is cooler than yours.”
Chait has shown her commitment by enrolling in the Big Wave Risk Assessment Group course and the Maverick’s Ocean Safety Summit and upping her training. It’s early days, but the signs are that Chait could be an established member of the Mav’s lineup for years to come.
Ben Larg
The 18-year-old from the Isle of Tiree, the most westerly island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, first came on the big-wave scene as a 14-year-old. When he towed into 30-foot faced slabs at Mullaghmore (on his backside) he was the youngest to do so. In the intervening years, he’s been sharpening his big-wave tools and has spent the last two winter seasons in Nazare. With Red Bull and Nazare veterans aiding his development (as seen in the 2021 documentary Ride the Wave) Larg is slowly, but steadily, rising through the ranks and making a reputation as a teenager with his eyes on the biggest wave prize.
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Liam Sahyoun
The 14-year-old recently came to the world’s wider attention when The Inertia broke the story of the Moroccan big wave spot named Tiraline. Towed in by his father, the well-known hellman Jerome, Liam snavelled a few of the bigger bombs in a crowd that included big wave legends like Billy Kemper and Lucas Chianca. “I’ve never said no to anything Liam wanted to do in terms of chasing his surfing dreams,” Jerome told The Inertia. “Now though, it’s getting real, and I’m worried. But he’s been with me on all my trips over the last few years, watching and learning from the best. It’s up to him where he takes it, but I’ll be by his side the whole way.” With Morocco offering untapped big-wave potential, and a dad being one of the most connected big-wave surfers on the planet, Liam’s pathway is clear.
Ned Hart
The Western Australian first came to notice after holding his own in a run of solid swells and a stacked line-up at Teahupo’o in 2022. Then just 15, he’d spent a month in Tahiti, having already logged heavy water sessions at his home near Margaret River, Indonesia and Hawaii. His “Overhead Ned” nickname wasn’t ironic. After Tahiti, Pyzel started shaping his boards and on his first trip to Shipsterns an airdrop-to-barrel combo went viral. “What we witnessed from Ned on his first three waves, blew our minds. He’s the real deal,” said big-wave filmer Tim Bonython, who knows big-wave talent when he sees it. Hart added Nazare to his checklist this winter as the 16-year-old’s big-wave education continues to spool at a rapid rate.
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The Simpsons Kane(s)
Back in 2021, when Chrisyln “Sissie” Simpson Kane rode a Pe’ahi bomb aged 13, she was believed to be the youngest female to have towed the wave. “I felt like puking after my first wave but it got better afterwards. I cannot thank Aunty Andrea Moller enough for calling me up and inviting me out today and for believing in me that I was ready,” she posted on Instagram. Two years later during the January, 2023 XXL “Marcio Swell,” Sissie was back out there, upping the adrenalin, and her experience.
The Maui local has pedigree. Her brother Ty, two years her elder, has been on a fast, upward trajectory at Jaws since he was 13. Mentored by Ian Walsh, Ty’s commitment to paddle and tow surfing the biggest days each winter has seen him gain respect at such a young age. With dad Chris often putting his children on the best waves, and their waterman uncle Kurtis Chong Kee running safety, the Simpson Kanes are set to be the next generation of Maui locals who will set the standard at the world’s best big wave.
