Beyond the Break: Faces of 100 Foot Wave Reflect on Third Season

“We honestly didn’t know what it would be, season three. We didn’t think it’d get better than season two, but it turned out phenomenal,” Nicole McNamara shared with AdventureOnSI. “When we watched the first cuts, our minds were blown.”

The documentary began filming in 2019 and was meant to capture McNamara as he sought to be the first to surf a 100-foot wave. He set the world record in 2011 by surfing a wave measured at 78 feet in Nazaré, Portugal. In the latest episodes of the series, McNamara and his crew of fellow big wave surfers return to Nazaré to give the record another go.

The journey, however, didn’t pause everyday life, and the series highlights the very personal waves of triumphs and pitfalls that the surfers struggled with throughout the last filming sequence. Grief is underlined as a legendary member of the surfing community was lost. Márcio Friere, a Brazilian big wave surfer and part of a pioneering group of surfers known as the “Mad Dogs,” suffered a fatal injury while surfing in Nazaré in January 2023.

The second episode of the season, "Undertow," pays homage to Friere's impact on not only those closest to him but also on the community as a whole. “I wanted to make sure his life was honored and with a lot of respect,” Garret said. “And it was a ten. That’s my favorite episode in all the seasons, regarding how well they did it.”

"I wasn't there, so I didn't see it first-hand," he continued. "I knew him but not well, just in passing. I respected him as one of the most legendary big-wave paddle surfers ever. So it wasn't close to home, but it was in the community, and I felt for [them]."

In addition to grief, overcoming inner struggles and human weaknesses is key as viewers watch the McNamaras and other crew members battle with and embrace the human condition. The documentary exposes a new side of Garrett that allows the audience to connect with these remarkable athletes.

“This is a documentary, so it’s real, and these are real experiences,” Nicole remarked. “We have all shown up sometimes with people we love and regretted it, and we have to take responsibility. I think it’s wonderful how he is processing being exposed in that way to the whole world, but using it to better himself instead of spiraling down.”

When asked if these aspects of life are hard to share in a public space, Garrett said, "I’ve accepted that if they capture it, I have to live with it, and if I don’t like it, then I should show up in a much better way next time.”

But the pitfalls make the triumphs that much sweeter and while there are some heavy subject matter in the series, there are also some major success stories as well. Spending time with family, slowing down and expressing gratitude all accentuate the victories in life in the best way.

The beginning of 100 Foot Wave documents the biggest waves of McNamara’s career, and now it consists of several victorious moments for his crew of friends and family, inspiring people across the globe. “I am just on the moon, watching everybody accomplish their goals and dreams,” the surfer explained.

"From the beginning, the Portuguese people would come up and want to take pictures and say, 'Thank you for what you did for my country,'" he elaborated. "And now, the series has turned to the world, saying "Thanks for inspiring us to do this.""

He continued, "We do hope that something we're doing inspires people. And it feels so good to have people smile and say they were inspired by something that we shared, and it's a love story across the world now."

The genuine openness that the audience can see in the McNamaras and throughout the entire documentary make it one to remember. The third season of 100 Foot Wave and the previous seasons can be watched on HBO and streamed on Max. Episodes of the latest season are being released weekly on Thursdays at 9:00 ET/PT throughout May.