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.