“First-Ever” Foil Surf on a Mavericks Monster (Video)

Apparently, Basque Country foiler Matt Etxebarne Aguirregomezkorta didn’t get the memo – or he’s just a pioneer in the field of big-wave surfing on alternative crafts – as seen during the currently-hitting “once in a lifetime swell” hitting California currently, and particularly, Mavericks.

Per a claim on Instagram, Matt is the “first ever to foil Mavericks.”

Valid? Perhaps.

He’s whipped into the bomb early, flying over the massive face, before fading back towards the peak, then setting a line at the bottom, and hovering as the Mavs bomb pitches behind him.

Turns out, Matthieu Etxebarne is not new to the world of big-wave foil surfing. Last year, for a futuristic ride at Jaws, then 22-year-old Etxebarne got some notice during the SURFER Big Wave Challenge. Bill Sharp, the head honcho behind the Challenge, had this to say about the ride:

“What he did looked pretty magical and he did pull it off…but maybe we just leave it at that.”

However epic the rides, both at Mavs and Jaws, foiling still holds a controversial status amongst the core surfing crowd. That’s mainly due to the fact that these things are dangerous, especially in a crowded lineup. It’s practically a guillotine careening through the waves, and if someone riding one doesn’t know what they’re doing, that can (and has) lead to some serious damage.

Luckily, this dude is seasoned on the foil; minimal threat for foil-on-surf decapitation.