The endless wave: Austrian man spends eight hours straight surfing river in the Alps
A talented surfer just rode the waves for over eight hours straight, taking no breaks – even when eating a bowl of soup – to become the Guinness World Records title holder for the longest time spent surfing a wave (male).
Maximilian Neuböck (Austria) hopped on to the surfboard in Ebenesee, Austria last month at the RiverWave – a man-made wave that harnesses currents from nearby Alpine rivers to create a year-long surfing spot.
Supported by Red Bull Austria, the surfer spent 8 hours 5 minutes and 44 seconds coasting atop the clear waters – smashing the record set by Gary Saavedra (Panama), who spent 3 hours 55 minutes and 2 seconds riding the Panama Canal.
And remarkably, Maximilian was so steady on the board that he was even able to have a snack while surfing – what appears to be a bowl of soup with a spoon!
Could he be the first person ever to eat soup on a surfboard?
Well, regardless, the surfer went home with a record at the end of the day – even though it took him a long time to obtain it.
On the day of the attempt, the dedicated athlete donned his wetsuit early in the morning, just when the sun was beginning to peek over the mountains in the Alps. Yet despite the brisk weather, he slipped into the water with ease, cutting back and forth on the board and staring at the rushing current around him.
For hours on end, he slid the board across the waves, occasionally drifting off towards the dock and accepting sustenance from generous viewers, such as warm drinks or snacks.
And at times, he’d fold his back in half – stiff from the endless rush of waves – and rest his arms on his knees, or he’d take a massage gun to his sore quads and legs. But despite the draining and monotonous nature of his attempt, Maximilian never hopped off the board, even when he was well past the time of the previous record.
It wasn’t until he was over eight hours into his ride that the surfer felt confident enough in his win that he returned to shore – and in a jubilant (and slightly exhausted) manner he cut the board back to the dock and flipped off the side into the water, splashing and shouting with excitement.
Upon getting back on land, Maximilian draped himself in a towel and accepted fist-bumps and congratulations from spectators nearby, pleased to be the new title holder that conquered the tides.
Read more stories about surfing superstars in our Sports and Fitness section!
Nevertheless, he isn’t the only surfer to take home a record for their ceaseless rides on the board.
Lori Keeton (USA) grabbed a title for the longest time spent surfing a wave (female) on 8 June 2021, for her eight hour wake surfing ride on Raccoon Lake in Rockville, Indiana, USA. She completed the challenge to raise awareness for Wake for Warriors, a non profit that supports veterans.
Meanwhile, the longest duration performing a headstand on a flowboard was achieved by Zhang Liang (China) at GWR Live on Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas, docked in Shanghai, China, on 13 November 2017.
The waves reached speeds of up to 30 mph (48.3 km/h) on the boat, but the acrobatic surfer didn’t flinch, and he remained in a headstand on the board for 15.874 seconds!