Surfer Rides 4,000+ Waves in One Month, Shatters World Record

Reveling in the victory, Johnston used the moment as an inspiration for others:

“This feels like a dream,” he said. “I feel like I’ve been here before. I keep saying that with all these moments. But I look at what I can do, and what other people can do, and I just…it’s incredible. You can make things happen in your life, and you are the author of your own story. You can make things come to life. We limit ourselves. Why not reach big, and go after big things? When we do that, we inspire people around us, and make them see what they’re capable of.”

Let’s break it down a little bit. He surfed 253 sessions over the course of 31 days – that’s an average of 8.16 sessions per day. He surfed 4,097 waves over the course of 31 days – that’s an average of 132.16 waves per day. Those are staggering numbers.

It’s not the first time Johnston has used his platform to inspire through record-breaking feats. Previously, he organized the world’s largest paddle-out, assembling 1,000 surfers in Cronulla, Australia. And before that, he surfed for 40 hours straight for the world’s longest surf session, during which he surfed over 700 waves.

Like all of his feats of endurance and tenacity, Johnston’s latest was billed as a testament to mental health advocacy. That’s something that hits close to home for him, as Johnston lost his father to suicide in 2013.

“Everyone deserves to feel awesome,” Johnston said after achieving the goal.

Then, he had his first hot shower in seven years. Well-deserved.