Watch: Natural Selection Surf Is Live Right Now - Stab Mag

Live Now: "Horse" — A surf film by James Kates starring Noa Deane — streaming exclusively on Stab Premium.

2079 Views
Conditions you'd happily settle for on your first foray into running surfing events. Photo: Ryan Miller/Natural Selection

Watch: Natural Selection Surf Is Live Right Now

“That was literally the wave of my life.”

news // Feb 18, 2025
Words by Jack O'Neill Paterson
Reading Time: 2 minutes

Natural Selection Surf is streaming now on Red Bull TV and YouTube.

Take surfing, strip away the jerseys, toss it into the wilderness, and film it like a cinematic blockbuster. Welcome to Natural Selection Surf — possibly the most anticipated surfing event since the wheel was invented. And today, it’s live.

Here’s a brief rundown: NST rented Martin Daly, hired a Hollywood-adjacent film crew, sent out a red-letter invite to some very talented surfers, scooped up Milla Coco-Brown and Kauli Vaast on a private jet, and then had themselves a merry old time somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. According to Ryan Miller, who was on-location shooting photos, they hit the cover off the ball, with many calling it the best waves of their entire lives.

Need more? A full breakdown of every morsel of intel we could dig up is here. If you’re short on time, here’s a quick shot to get you primed:

Location

Deep in the heart of Micronesia. NST has managed to keep the exact spot on lockdown, but whispers suggest it wasn’t a quick jaunt to get there.

Talent

4 women, 8 men.

Women:

  • Milla Coco Brown
  • Coco Ho
  • Kirra Pinkerton
  • Anne Dos Santos

Men:

  • Soli Bailey
  • Harry Bryant
  • Kauli Vaast
  • Noah Beschen
  • Victor Bernardo
  • Mikey Feb
  • Al Cleland Jr.
  • Eithan Osborne

The Waves

“People were calling it the best waves they’ve ever surfed in a contest,” says comp director and event organiser, Jason Murray. “Five people said they got the wave of their life. We’re happy we gave everyone a shot at that kind of moment. Some of them were nearly in tears, saying, ‘That was literally the wave of my life.’”

We’ve seen some embargoed footage. No one’s blowing smoke. 

The Film Crew

Aether — the team behind Trilogy: New Wave. A gamble in high-budget filmmaking. 

“We had seven cameras running at all times. Two drones in the air. A shot-over camera, a water cam,” says Murray.  “We went all-in on high-end production.”

What you’re about to watch is going to look real pretty. The waves, too, are going to get you all hot and bothered. But will Natural Selection Surf shift the paradigm of competitive surfing, or will it be a high-production novelty event that quickly fades into obscurity? 

We’re about to find out. 

Natural Selection Surf is streaming now on Red Bull TV.

Comments

Comments are a Stab Premium feature. Gotta join to talk shop.

Already a member? Sign In

Want to join? Sign Up

Advertisement

Most Recent

Jordy Smith And Gabriela Bryan Prove That Powersurfing Will Never Perish

Some buried rails, an all-Zaffa final, and a triple barrel to conclude our stint in…

Apr 12, 2025

Stab Interview: “I Traded OxyContin for Surfing”

Logan Dulien on addiction, the Irons brothers, crime syndicates, and why Snapt 5 will be…

Apr 12, 2025

‘It’s Like J-Bay Today’ -Jordy Smith

11 hours of wind and excellence in La Libertad.

Apr 12, 2025

SEOTY: Jai Glindeman Obtains His Below Sea Level License

Watch: 'Free Flow' shot in Fiji, Indo and Oz during ‘Magic May’.

Apr 11, 2025

Al Cleland Just Dismantled Your Fantasy Team

Priority drama and an entire day of waves at the Surf City El Salvador Pro.

Apr 10, 2025

Is This The Most Annoying Rule In Competitive Surfing?

The post-buzzer interference strikes again, this time with Kanoa Igarashi and Crosby Colapinto.

Apr 10, 2025

Can Fins + Hardware Slice Through These Tariffying Cavitations?

We asked the CEO of Futures Fins and the Global Director of Creatures of Leisure.

Apr 10, 2025

WSL Concedes To Sand Gods: “Snapper’s Out, Burleigh’s In”

The 2025 Gold Coast CT finds a new (old) home.

Apr 9, 2025

Did The President Of El Salvador Lend The WSL His Helicopter?

“It was hard to explain why I wanted to jump out of the chopper… in…

Apr 8, 2025

Snapper Has A Major Sand Issue — Should The WSL Be Worried?

“There are rocks I’ve never seen before. Peaks with lefts breaking into Rainbow Bay"

Apr 8, 2025

Two More Heats In La Libertad, 2x Defending Event Champ Eliminated

And the drip-feed continues…

Apr 7, 2025

How Will The US Tariffs + Looming Recession Affect Surfboard Prices?

According to Matt Biolos, Jon Pyzel + Hayden Cox: maybe not as much as you’d…

Apr 7, 2025

When David Grohl Put The Spotlight On Surf Films

Jack McCoy on how he licensed two of the Foo Fighters' biggest hits in Blue…

Apr 7, 2025

Balaram Stack On Weed, Spirituality, Corpo Drama, Ghosting The WSL, And Making His Mom Cry

The Stab Interview with New York's beloved son of Mary.

Apr 6, 2025

Sometimes, An Incorrect Forecast Is A Good Thing

Day four in El Salvador subverts our negative expectations.

Apr 5, 2025

The Best Surfing I’ve Ever Seen: Rick Rifici

On Taj Burrow, Fair Bits, helicopters, Wolfmother, and Stab's first issue.

Apr 4, 2025

Wildcards Persist On Day Three In Surf City El Salvador

Six elimination heats in the blazing equatorial sun.

Apr 4, 2025

We’d Be Mad Too If We Surfed That “7.43” Like Filipe

Thankfully, it didn't matter at the Surf City Pro El Salvador.

Apr 4, 2025
Advertisement