The 10 Most Popular Videos of the Year. Big waves, small children, and shooting piers. We love it, too!
Every year around this time, we pause for a while and reflect. We think about the last 365 days – what was great, what was shitty, what we loved, and what we hated. We think about the coming year, and how we can pack more of the love category into it. And one of the best ways to do that is to take quick peek under the skirt of the internet and find out exactly what the most entertaining (after all, that’s what we’re here for) things were, at least by the numbers. And if we’re living in a democracy where numbers are votes, then these are your 10 Most Popular Videos of 2014, according to page views. Hurray for math!
1. What’s really going on at the US Open of Surfing. (Click the link to read more about how this whole thing went down. It’s a veritable shit-show.)
In the words of The Inertia’s Juicewhale, Jeremy Searle:
I headed down to Huntington Beach for the 2014 US Open of Surfing excited to capture the energy of the event. I intended to get attendees’ thoughts on the heats. I intended to document the fans’ collective stoke for their favorite surfers. I was excited. But a stampede of booty shots and language that would make mothers the world over cry trampled all over those intentions.
2. This Six-Year-Old Girl Shreds Harder Than You
In the words of most-esteemed Deputy Editor Michael Woodsmall:
She’s six. SIX! While a six-year-old with the present ability and future potential to make you look like a downright fool is generally reason to get a lil’ anxious with heavy feelings of inadequacy, we’re in awe and damn excited to see what she does over the course of her surfing career, professional or otherwise.
3. Laird Hamilton Shoots Malibu Pier on Massive Wave
In case you were one of the three people in the surfing world who didn’t see this video, here’s a bit of backstory:
As Hurricane Marie’s swell began to show up in Malibu, Laird Hamilton (a familiar face in the area), reportedly showed up on a paddleboard and proceeded to stroke into the largest set wave of the day, according to this YouTube video. And then, of course, he shot the pier. On a paddleboard. Then the cameraman gets a little creepy, but the shooting the pier part is still awesome.
4. Cory Lopez and the World’s Cutest Surf Session
Evidently, viewers like a few things: big waves, big wipeouts, and kids surfing. We found this short clip of Cory wearing his adorable daughter like a cape on Father’s Day. Is there anything cuter?
Well if this isn’t the best example of a good surf dad, we don’t know what is. Cory Lopez and his adorable little girl, Alana, make a pretty decent duo on a surfboard. Happy Father’s Day!
5. You Have To See This: Surfing at a 1000 Frames Per Second
This video is just plain ridiculous. Not for the surfing (which is incredible in itself) but because it lets the viewer see something that normally whizzes by too quickly for a thorough inspection. But in 1000 frames per second, you can see just how amazing it really is. Here’s what we originally wrote about it:
Surfing is one of those things with a million tiny little nuances that make up one incredible package. Blink and you’ll miss it, as the saying goes. On those giant, backless monsters, the brunt of the action is on the wave itself – of course, what the surfer is doing is pretty mind-boggling, but no mere human will ever compare to Mother Nature’s supreme majesty.
Jaws is a really scary wave. It’s giant and beautiful and oh-so-mean. So when Chuck Patterson threw on some (accidentally?) ridiculous attire and skied on it, we were in awe. Here’s what Alexander Haro had to say about it:
Water skiing is pretty fun. So is surfing. And regular skiing is pretty cool, too. The worst part about regular skiing is all the spandex, but you only really need that if you’re in a downhill race and you’re dodging flags and trying not to lose control like a less talented Lindsey Vonn.
Apparently, though, spandex is also necessary when you’re surf skiing (is that what this is called?) at Jaws. Chuck Patterson donned his tightest and whitest (with zebra stripes!), strapped on his ski boots, and picked up his ski poles (seems unnecessary, but I’ve never surf skied Jaws) for Willy Bogner’s film, Visions. But you know what? Even with the spandex, ski poles, and faintly Aspen-in-the- ’80s vibe, there’s no way in hell you’d find me doing this – not because my legs are too skinny for spandex, but because I’d be terrified. So well done, Chuck.
7. Drone Captures Allen Sarlo Shooting Pier at Giant Malibu
That now-famous day in Malibu when Hurricane Marie showed up wasn’t all just Laird Hamilton shooting the pier on a paddleboard. Allen Sarlo was also there, and as usual, he made his presence known.
Allen Sarlo, keeper of the Malibu, was not to be outshone yesterday evening as Marie pulsed swell energy through Surfrider Beach. Laird Hamilton may have masterfully shot the pier wielding a giant paddle and snagged his share of set waves, but, alas, he wasn’t the only one to slalom the pilings.
8. Nazare Erupts with Biggest Swell of 2014; Smashes Jetskis and Egos
So Nazare really blew up in 2014. It seems like it does every year, but this year was different. It was on a whole different level… and so were the surfers who showed up. Here were our thoughts early in December:
Holy snap. Just when you thought Nazare couldn’t get more ridiculously gigantic…it does. I guess we shouldn’t be surprised any longer. But the images and heroics never fail to shock.
Earlier this week, possibly the biggest swell of 2014 surged into Nazare – as well as across the world – causing waves from Punta Galea to Jaws to go off. On this particular mission, Garrett McNamara, Ross Clarke-Jones, Hugo Vau, and Sebastien Steudtner pushed human limits….as they do. According to the Red Bull team, McNamara lost a jetski in 20 feet of whitewater. Andrew Cotton got smashed beyond belief, and Ross Clarke-Jones proved that once you’ve got it, you can never lose it.
9. Brad Domke Skimboards the Biggest Wave Ever
Brad Domke is a maniac. A real-life, honest to God maniac. While everyone else showed up to a massive swell in Puerto Escondido with inflation vests and big wave guns, Brad showed up with a tiny little piece of wood and a pair of trunks. Somehow, he managed to not only surf the biggest wave ever surfed on a skimboard, but he kept his trunks on.
When screen grabs surfaced of Brad Domke supposedly sliding the biggest wave ever ridden on a skimboard, it was almost too difficult to believe. It was damn sure too difficult to grasp the full magnitude of what this Floridian accomplished at Puerto Escondido ’cause, quite frankly, this was so far beyond the realm of our present reality that it was literally unbelievable. But here it is, video evidence of the east coaster baggin’ a real beast in the middle of Shane Dorian & Co. were doing the same, albeit the others were paddling in with guns and inflation vests. Which leads us to one more thing: WHERE IS HIS INFLATION VEST!?! IS THIS BOY ACTUALLY CRAZY!?!
When Marie showed up along California’s coastline, nearly every spot from Mexico to Canada flared at some point or another. But Newport Point was among the rarest. And of course, with today’s technology, we got to see the coolest view possible. Look at our excitement:
Newport Point is one of those Moby Dick style waves. Elusive. Mythical. Legendary. In the past couple days, Marie awoke Newport’s iconic point in all of its glory, and a host of pros partook. Dusty Payne said the point was as powerful as any wave he’s gotten at Pipe. So that means something. It just required that super specific swell angle and some serious power to get her going.
So there you have it. The 10 most viewed videos of 2014. Looking back, it was a damn good year. And looking forward… well, here’s hoping it’s even better. Is that even possible?
