Solid outlook, solid human, Noah Beschen has a vision for where to take his freesurfing career. Photo: Swatch
Noah Beschen is part of a new generation that’s taking over the freesurfing world. He’s got traditional sponsors, like Reef and …Lost Surfboards, in addition to fashion brands like Swiss-watch company, Swatch.
He can do it all on a board — land techy airs in pools like a boardslide fakie at the Swatch Nines pool contest; charge barrels at the Pipe Masters; and create films that set the standard for cinematography and wave riding.
Surfing in the Beschen family is a multi-generational occupation. Noah is a legacy child in the world of surfing, son of Shane — a legendary professional surfer known for scoring the only perfect 30 in a heat. His father is from San Clemente, California, but Noah grew up on Oahu. “Growing up on the North Shore, it’s really cool,” says Noah. “Everyone grew up together so it feels like a big family. There’s also every type of wave and every best surfer around to inspire you.” And that family has roots from Southern California all the way to Hawaii. “I think the link between SoCal and Oahu is our family connection to the Ho family.”
For Noah, he doesn’t have to look far for inspiration. “My dad totally made me – I think his entrepreneur mind and love for progression rubbed off on me the most,” says Noah. In terms of a favorite father-son memory, he offered this: “I grew up mainly surfing with my dad so there’s a lot but one that sticks out is when we went to P-Pass in 2014, we got insane waves. He’s still my favorite person to surf with till this day.”
But Noah is certainly carving out his own niche. He’s not focused on competition. “I’m more focused on freesurfing,” says Noah. “I’m more inspired by trying to bring new things to surfing. That’s what I feel I have that I can contribute.” And he’s contributed a lot.
For starters, his film NOAH I The Art of Surfing is a masterpiece that not only features endless clips and unique natural composition, the underwater shots of him slowly ascending to the surface with his board in a Christ Air position are pure art. “I feel like that was my breakthrough film,” says Noah. “I’ve been figuring everything out with my friend Andy and getting equipment. We should have a new one out in 2026.”
He’s talking about cinematographer Andy Woodward. Noah, Andy, and Eimeo Czermak recently went down to Mexico to work on a project dubbed the “Double Barrel.” They ended up coming out with a one-of-a-kind shot from a wipeout.
“Early morning, like the warmest light, there was a huge sunrise light ray through a cloud on the left side of the frame,” Andy explained. “Just a glassy open-circle barrel. And for a moment, there’s just this slow orbit where Eimeo is doing a violent backflip and it looks like the most majestic camera orbit over Noah.”
A gnarly clip for sure, but that’s the Beschen standard. Take Noah’s 540 aerial on for size. “It took me four days, four long days [to land it],” says Noah, half-laughing. Stack that with his boardslide fakie [as called by Greyson Fletcher] on a rail in a wave pool and it seems like the young man is turning surfing into his own real-life video game.
As for the future, Noah plans on more of the same. “My goal is to be at the forefront of progressing surf films,” says Noah. “It’s been my passion my whole life and I am so lucky to have such an insane group of friends that feel the same way.”
