The premise of conquering the beast has been around as long as storytelling has captured human imagination. Myths, fairy tales, superhero sagas, they all tell tales of ordinary men and women going up against an unconquerable foe, armed only with their courage, wit and, more often than not, immeasurable luck.
There is something uniquely human about our species that makes us seek the danger, seek the challenge, seek the beast—for some, facing imminent death is the only way they can feel alive. But most of those challenges here on earth, mountain-climbing, skydiving, cliff-diving, etc, usually feature man vs a 
stationary object. Climb Mt. Everest, jump out of a plane towards Earth, jump off a cliff into the ocean–it’s hard enough to do any of those things, to master any of those skills, to overcome any of those fears, to have the stamina, strength, endurance and ability to do any of those things just as they are. Now imagine doing any of them while they are moving and trying to devour you at the same time. Imagine if, as you were climbing Mt. Everest, it was trying to swallow you whole while you’re just trying to stay on your feet—just trying to survive.
That is what big wave surfing is.
And that is why I am absolutely hooked by the HBO MAX docu-series 100-Foot Wave.
The series is simple enough, it’s all about big wave legend Garrett McNamara’s pursuit of the ultimate surfer’s white whale: to find and to successfully ride a 100-foot wave—and to have that ride documented. That last bit is the key to this whole thing. You never know when “the” wave is going to come, so you have to be ready all the time. You have to do your best to predict, to prep, to be ready, emotionally, physically and mentally. But, mostly, you have to make sure there are cameras there, ready to roll, to capture the moment when and if it happens. So a team of cameras have been following McNamara around for years, as he has been pursuing his quest, and they have been documenting his every moment, his every ride. It means that, when he—or one of his colleagues—does eventually land “the one,” cameras will be there. But what it also means is that there is a whole lot of footage captured that is NOT of “the” big wave, which led to this series. Because if there’s one thing the surfing world is not, is boring. It’s not just Garrett McNamara who is this crazy. There is a whole community of bonkers folks and a whole economy—and a town in Portugal that was reborn because of it—built on the type of crazy that is just strange and beautiful enough to be this kind of compelling. You want the ultimate tale of man vs nature? This, my friends, is the holy grail.
I spent most of my childhood summers in the ocean, and even though I’ve never surfed, I’ve been in ocean waves a lot. Anyone who likes to play in the waves knows about being “boiled,” those frightening moments when you are caught in the ocean’s washing machine after a wave has crashed on you, and you find yourself underwater, in the darkness, tumbling, not knowing which way is up, losing track of space and time for what feels like minutes before being spit onto the beach with a ton of sand in your suit and gasping for air. These times that I was boiled were the scariest, most miserable moments of my life and the closest I’ve ever felt to death. And I bet you I was never boiled by a wave bigger than five feet. FIVE FEET.
Did I mention these guys are SEEKING a HUNDRED-foot wave? To surf? On purpose?
It’s truly insane.
But it’s also gorgeous. The true dichotomy of watching the stunningly magnificent beauty of these waves next to the sheer insanity of watching these men and women launch themselves onto their face, with nothing but a small board to use as a tool for their communing with one of nature’s greatest forces, is sometimes confoundingly mind-bending.
I’ve only seen the first season so far, but I have seen enough to recommend 100-Foot Wave to anyone who reveres nature, who loves its beauty, honors its power and respects its grandeur. But what gives 100-Foot Wave its true drama are the stories of these ordinary humans who chase the thrill, who tempt fate, who dare to put themselves on the precipice of finality for one moment of euphoria—and fame.
As compelling a psychological drama as it is though, the reason you won’t be able to look away from 100-Foot Wave are the waves themselves. The cinematography that is captured by these incredibly talented (and just as daring and brave as the surfers) videographers and photographers is like nothing you’ve seen before. Forget green screens and CGI, this is the best action you’ll see in a very long time.
Oh, does Garrett get to ride a 100-foot wave? You think I’m going to ruin it?
Three seasons of 100-Foot Wave are available on HBO MAX. There is no word yet on whether there will be a fourth season.