LUCA PADUA: Chasing Mavericks, Great White Sharks & The Biggest Swell Ever

Luca Padua grew up in Half Moon Bay, California, just a few miles from one of the most intimidating waves on Earth: Mavericks. At 13 years old, he became the youngest person to ever surf it and he’s spent the years since becoming one of the standout surfers in the lineup.

But Luca’s connection to Mavericks started even earlier. As a kid, he was an extra in Chasing Mavericks, the film about Jay Moriarity, before eventually following a strangely similar path himself: finding mentors in the big wave community and dedicating his life to understanding the wave in his backyard.

In this episode, we sit down with Luca to talk about growing up around Mavericks, surfing it for the first time at 13, Great White Sharks and the wildlife you encounter in Northern California, and what it takes to stay calm when the ocean starts doing things most people would rather watch from land.

We also get into the historic December 23, 2024 swell at Mavericks, a day that pushed the wave into territory few had ever seen and produced some of the biggest rides in the history of the break.

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