The Journey Behind the Making of Epic Series 100 Foot Wave

The ideation of the series developed through family connections, and Lewis elaborated on how the concept came to fruition. 'It was truly a fluke. My wife's second cousin is Nicole McNamara. I hadn't met them before, but I had always heard of this second cousin who was married to a big-wave surfer.”

100 Foot Wave Television Series Continues to Impress

“Garrett is endlessly compelling and interesting and has amazing energy, and Nicole's incredible,” Lewis remarked. “I mentioned the idea to [director] Chris Smith, and he zoomed with them and felt the same way. And so it came out of a weird family connection, and, you know, we started talking about it, and then we started shooting the show two weeks later.”

Since 2019, the entire 100 Foot Wave crew has spent thousands of hours both on and off the water trying to create a masterpiece that reflects the ups and downs that come with the commitment of big-wave surfing. 

When asked about the challenges surrounding filming, Lewis shared that the main issue is reducing the years of footage into five hour-long episodes.
"The water is its challenge,” Lewis continued to explain. “But we have such an amazing team that shoots in the water, shoots drones, and shoots action from land...We didn't know anything on day one, and have met and worked with great people.”

Creating a film that captures the enormity and magnitude of waves is an incredible feat. Still, the team embraced filming techniques that got them as close as they could to the eye of the hurricane to capture the reality of each wave, physically and emotionally.

"You want to be close to the surfers, but they're out there risking a lot and the last thing you ever want is for anything that we're doing to have any bearing whatsoever on what they're doing. But I would love to have a camera close on the surface as they go back up and see the wave behind them. Every year we get a bit closer.”

"You couldn't have made this show 20 years ago. They'd have to get a helicopter when they needed aerial shots in Nazaré. We couldn't get a helicopter out there every day. If a drone doesn't work, it flies back in, and you get coffee. If the helicopter doesn't work, you've got to think about how you're making the show.”

While the cinematography has earned acclaim, its emotional core is what resonates with viewers. For Lewis, the lessons from the surfers, particularly about fear, have left a lasting impact.

"One thing I've gotten from hanging out with these surfers and making the show is knowing when I feel fear. I've not solved any major problems in life, but I think they have to be aware of how fear factors into what they do. So I am a little more conscious of it now. I think it does change how you live your life. It'd be great if this show does that for people.”

When all is said and done, Lewis hopes that 100 Foot Wave will provide entertainment through cinematography and storytelling and inspire them with deeper themes. Ideas like confronting fear and navigating the unpredictable waves of life are emotional undercurrents that keep the story going long after the credits roll.

100 Foot Wave can be streamed on HBO, and the latest episodes of Season 3 are being released weekly on Thursday nights at 9:00 pm ET/PT.