Bill Sharp accepts the 100 Foot Wave Challenge
In a stunning turn of events that has the surfing world buzzing, Bill Sharp has officially accepted Michael Willis’s gauntlet: a challenge to conquer the monstrous waves of the Devil’s Garden in the Kingdom of Hawaii. What was once dismissed as a publicity stunt has now morphed into a high-stakes showdown. The question isn’t just whether Sharp can handle the Garden’s fury, but whether he’s truly ready to face the demons that lurk beneath the surface of the world’s most treacherous wave. The stage is set, the stakes are higher than ever, and the ocean is waiting.
Big wave surfing: where the stakes are as high as the waves, and the only thing thicker than the foam is the legend. Welcome to the 100 Foot Wave Challenge, the holy grail of surfing, where myth, muscle, and a little madness collide. Grab your board (and maybe a life insurance policy) as we dive into the wild world of Michael Willis, Garrett McNamara, Bill Sharp, and the relentless pursuit of the biggest ride on Earth.
Bill Sharp: The Godfather of Big Wave Promotion
Before HBO and the glitz of Hollywood, there was Bill Sharp—a man with a vision, a phone full of surf legends, and a knack for making big waves even bigger. Sharp’s legacy began with the K2 $50,000 Big Wave Challenge, a contest so audacious it made surfers salivate and insurance agents sweat. The premise was simple: ride the biggest wave, prove it with a photo, and cash a check so big you could buy your own surf shop.
Taylor Knox, a Carlsbad local with nerves of steel and sponsorships galore, was given the prize after riding a beast at Todos Santos, Mexico. That ride didn’t just make Knox $50,000 richer; it put Todos Santos on the map as a big wave mecca. Bill Sharp’s contests weren’t just about money—they were about pushing the limits and giving big wave surfers a stage (and a reason) to chase monsters.
The Willis Brothers: Surfing’s Legendary Titans and Unofficial Winners
While the surf world gawked at Knox’s Todos Santos triumph, the Willis brothers—Milton and Michael—were rewriting the rulebook on Oahu’s North Shore. On January 25th 1998, during Hawaii’s first-ever “Condition Black” (translation: so big, even the bravest big wave surfers called in sick), the Willis brothers, with a handful of hardcore watermen, paddled out to closed out 50 to 60 foot Waimea Bay. Surfing magazine unanimously voted Milton and Michael as the true “unofficial winners” of the K2 $50,000 Big Wave Challenge. They didn’t just surf the biggest waves they raised the bar of possibility for big wave surfers everywhere.
Three days later on January 28th 1998 the Willis Brothers were the first to tow-surf verified 85 foot waves outer Log Cabins, big wave surfer Ken Bradshaw who followed the Willis Brothers out this day, claims this day was and still is “the biggest day ever ridden.”
Seeing even bigger waves much further North the Willis Brothers ventured further out from Log Cabins to the mythical Devil’s Garden located outside Paumalu, where waves were officially verified by experts and eyewitnesses—including legends like big wave experts Nathan Fletcher and Robbie Page—to be between 100 and 115 feet. Surfing experts and qualified surfing historians site the Devil’s Garden as the biggest waves ever surfed to this day.
Garrett McNamara: The Relentless Wave Chaser
Enter Garrett McNamara, the face (and occasionally the crash-test dummy) of HBO’s “100 Foot Wave.” McNamara’s obsession with the mythical triple-digit wave has made him a household name, a Guinness World Record holder, and the star of a docuseries that makes even non-surfers sweat through their couches.
McNamara’s most famous ride came at Nazaré, Portugal, where he allegedly (although not proven officially) surfed 78-foot wave in 2011, setting a world record at the time. Media outlets have since hyped claims of McNamara riding “100 foot” waves, but the man himself has always been honest: “It definitely felt bigger than the previous record,” he said, but he never officially claimed the 100-foot mark.
The Devil’s Garden Challenge: A New Chapter
Fast forward to today, where the legend refuses to die. In a recent blog on thinkwaves.org, Michael Willis threw down the gauntlet, challenging Bill Sharp, Garrett McNamara, and anyone else with a death wish to come and surf Devil’s Garden—the very spot where the Willis brothers rode waves topping well over 100 feet. Beat the drums and sound the trumpets Bill Sharp, never one to back down from a good story (or a great challenge), has accepted “Challenge On.”
If the surf gods cooperate, this could be the ultimate showdown: old legends, new contenders, and a wave so big it might need its own zip code.
The Numbers Game: How Big Is Big?
For HBO’s 100 Foot Wave series big wave surfing isn’t just about courage; it’s about measurement, bragging rights, and sometimes, a little creative math on the part of the World Surf League and Guinness World Records who present their own hyperbolic science to hype up their latest claims.
For example:
• The Guinness claim of the Official Record: 93.7 feet (Sebastian Steudtner, Nazaré, 2024) interesting to note not one credible big wave surfer has ever acknowledged or accepted this as the biggest wave ridden. In the real surfing world it’s viewed more as fiction than fact.
• Garrett McNamara: 78 feet (official, Nazaré, 2011), with claims of bigger, but unverified rides. Expert surfing opinions call it more hype than reality.
Where facts meet reality
• Willis Brothers: Eyewitnesses and expert surf historians insist Milton and Michael broke the 100-foot barrier at Devil’s Garden during the legendary 1998 “Biggest Wednesday” swell.
Why the 100 Foot Wave Matters
For surfers, the 100 Foot Wave is more than a number; it’s a quest, a myth, and a measure of what’s possible. It’s the Everest of surfing, the four-minute mile, the unicorn that keeps everyone paddling out, year after year.
But it’s also about community. The 100 Foot Wave Challenge brings together legends like Bill Sharp, who’s been promoting big wave surfing since before most of us could spell “Nazaré,” and new-school chargers who grew up watching McNamara on HBO. It’s about honoring the past, challenging the present, and—if the surf gods are feeling generous—making history.
Why Surfing 100 Feet Isn’t for Everyone
Let’s be honest: most of us would be happy just to survive a six-foot closeout at our local beach. The idea of surfing a wave taller than a ten-story building is, frankly, bananas. It’s the kind of thing you brag about at the bar—right before someone calls your bluff and hands you a plane ticket to Portugal.
But for the likes of McNamara, the Willis brothers, and Bill Sharp, it’s just another day at the office. And if you’re ever tempted to join them, remember: the only thing more dangerous than a 100-foot wave is telling your mom you plan to surf one.
The Future: Will We See the 100 Foot Wave again?
With technology improving, drones buzzing, and every ride filmed from a dozen angles, the day is coming when the 100-foot wave will be captured, measured, and immortalized again. One thing for sure it won’t be at Nazaré. One Hundred Foot Waves live in the Kingdom of Hawaii at Devil’s Garden.
One thing’s for sure: Bill Sharp will be there to promote it, and Garrett McNamara, if he has any gas left, along with the 100 Foot Wave team will be chasing that dream, camera crew in tow.
Conclusion: The Legend Lives On
The 100 Foot Wave Challenge is more than a contest—it’s a saga. It’s the story of pioneers like Bill Sharp, fearless visionaries like the Willis brothers, and relentless dreamers like Garrett McNamara. It’s about pushing the limits, rewriting history, and maybe, just maybe, catching a ride that will echo through the ages.
And so, against all odds—and perhaps better judgment—Bill Sharp has finally agreed to drag his show, his crew, and presumably his ego, all the way to the Devil’s Garden in the Kingdom of Hawaii. One can only hope that the volcanic heat isn’t too much for their carefully coiffed hair and that the local flora proves less intimidating than Michael Willis’s challenge. Will Sharp rise to the occasion, or will the Garden claim yet another overconfident mainlander? Either way, sunscreen and humility are strongly advised. Stay tuned—this is one showdown you won’t want to miss.
So, next time you see a big wave, tip your hat to the legends. And if you hear someone say, “Challenge On,” just smile, grab your popcorn, and enjoy the show. After all, in the world of big wave surfing, the only thing bigger than the waves are the stories.
And remember: If you ever find yourself at Devil’s Garden, bring a big board, a bigger heart, and maybe a parachute—just in case.
This is going to be fun.
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