Watching a friend get the wave of the day is worthy of an obnoxiously loud hoot. There are definitely times when we’re all paddling out to the peak and we see a buddy lined up for a good one. And the joy in soaking up that moment can sometimes be just as good as if you caught the wave yourself.
Bianca Buitendag and Johanne Defay look like they share a lot of those moments. From party waves to competition, they’ve been traveling together as friends since their teens. And now each lady is firmly planted as a top ten female surfer on the planet. Buitendag finished 2015 ranked fourth, Defay eighth, on the Women’s Samsung Galaxy Championship Tour. We can confidently assume the day one of them secures a World Title, the other is going to be her biggest cheerleader.
“Not many people put a friendship ahead of their own success,” Buitendag says. Listen to Buitendag recount a little more of their friendship here, then go call your best friend and give them a big, warm, sappy hug. Or just hoot really loud the next time you watch them snag a good wave.
