Watch: This Is One Of The 10 Best Waves Ever Ridden On A Surfboard - Stab Mag
792 Views
Apparently Pyzels are made to go over foamballs. Framegrab: Joao Tudella

Watch: This Is One Of The 10 Best Waves Ever Ridden On A Surfboard

Nathan Florence courtesy of Ireland.

elsewhere // May 13, 2023
Words by August Howell
Reading Time: < 1 minute

“I do believe you can have a left of your life and a right of your life. I feel like what I got in this session was probably the right of my life. 

Avid sci-fi and fantasy reader Nathan Florence is a big fan of The Lord of the Rings. The acclaimed film trilogy was filmed in New Zealand, but Nathan has excelled in making magic and slaying monsters in another country of rolling green hills. Remember that Mullaghmore tunnel last year?

Fresh off a Teahupo’o stint that fell somewhat short of expectations, Nathan ditched the gents towing six-footers for one of Ireland’s renowned slabs. On a mint 7’, Nathan found what he claims to be the right of his life. He couldn’t have been any deeper if he were a dwarf in the mines of Moria. The combination of knifing the drop, hurdling the foam ball, and blasting into the channel was so profound that his only comparison was that Teahupo’o jaw-dropper seven years ago that arguably kickstarted his heavy water career… which is fascinating considering this is a man who could see Pipeline (and Backdoor) from his childhood living room. 

“There’s a certain feeling you get when you kick out,” Nathan said of those one-in-a-million waves. “There’s an overwhelming feeling of gratitude, appreciation and disbelief at how you got so lucky as to be living the life you’re living there at that very moment that that wave came through. And you were in the spot and everything, every little piece of timing, every microsecond, you made the right on the wave decision to be as deep as you possibly could and still make it.”

We have no qualms stating that this is (easily) one of the 10 best waves ever ridden on a surfboard.

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

Who’s Gonna Win The 2026 World Title?

Picks from Josh Kerr, Sterling Spencer, Dane Henry, Jimmy Wilson, and more industry heavies.

Mar 27, 2026

The Top 5 Aerialists Of All Time, According To Chippa Wilson | StabMic Episode 07

"The sections he hits are beyond gnarly."

Mar 27, 2026

“People Were Fucking Swimming Out Of Their Homes In The Middle Of The Night”

A North Shore flood report from Nathan Fletcher and lifeguard Kyle Foyle.

Mar 26, 2026

Stab’s 2026 Rookie Class Review Featuring Owen Wright, Doug Silva, And CJ Hobgood

Crisp insights from a 4x CT winner, a supercoach, and a World Champ.

Mar 25, 2026

Could Paul Naudé Buy Rip Curl At A $200 Million Discount?

Corporate lobotomy at Kathmandu.

Mar 25, 2026

Watch: The Kelly Files Vol. 1

Unredacted interviews from Stab in the Dark X + Kelly's boards up for grabs.

Mar 25, 2026

Breaking: Gabriel Medina Has A New Coach For 2026

He's a fellow Brazilian world champ, heat tactician, and dare we say the perfect man…

Mar 25, 2026

Teaching People How To Surf Is Now A Legitimate Career Path

Enter the land of private jets and A-list cliques.

Mar 24, 2026

Robbo’s Back On Track(tors), Medina’s Ménage À Trois, Rip Curl Drops Wright, Tenōre In Turmoil 

Some days you’re the dog, some days you’re the hydrant.

Mar 22, 2026

A 15-Year-Old Snowboard Phenom + A 3-Minute Tube Hunter Walk Into StabMic

“If I didn’t have a GoPro, no one would believe me,” says Koa Smith.

Mar 21, 2026

Stab Interview: Israel’s First CT Surfer

Anat Lelior on military service, online hate, and her unique path to professional surfing.

Mar 19, 2026

Watch: Episode Two Of ‘VELA’ Featuring John John Florence

This time with Nate, Ivan, and another untouched reef pass.

Mar 19, 2026

So, What Do CT Surfers Think About Manu Bay?

A scene report from the Tasman Sea with Jack Robinson, Connor O’Leary, Luke Cederman, and…

Mar 18, 2026

What’s It Actually Like Surfing Mundaka?

A day in the life of a non-local goofy.

Mar 17, 2026

How To: Quit Professional Surfing

At what point do you walk away from the endless QS > CS > CT…

Mar 17, 2026

Why Did 50 Men Just March Into The Sahara With Surfboards And Moroccan Flags?

The story of a decades-old feud and the desert wave it exposed.

Mar 15, 2026

Meet The 2026 Qualifying Class

The CS is done; the CT begins in two weeks.

Mar 15, 2026

SEOTY: Imaikalani deVault Stars In ‘Little Bits’

"He pretty much got to the CT on talent alone.”

Mar 13, 2026
Advertisement