The 10 Toughest Surfers, Presented by Xtratuf

There's no doubt about it: surfing requires toughness. After all, some of the best sessions come with the most risk: difficult paddle outs, fighting currents, paddling for waves of consequence, riding walls of water the size of buildings and enduring long hold-downs.

With that in mind, we partnered with Xtratuf — an apparel company who's products (especially their boots) are the definition of tough — and compiled a list of the toughest surfers today. Surfers who charge the biggest waves, show nerves of steel, and when they face setbacks like injuries, they return even more determined.

Thing is, a list like this can be highly subjective, especially compared to objective competition rankings. So this isn't a ranking of the toughest surfers with one person sitting at the peak; instead, it's a list of the toughest surfers of the modern surfing age in no particular order.

In our list, you'll find everything each surfer has gone through, and more importantly, how they've persevered, and even better, how they are helping the next generation charge and be safe while doing so. All of these special characteristics earned them a spot on our list.

Without further ado, here's today's toughest surfers.

Andrew Cotton

Photo courtesy Gary McCall

One of Europe’s most respected big-wave surfers, Andrew “Cotty” Cotton is known for charging enormous swells at Nazaré, Mullaghmore, and other big wave breaks around the world.

He's been especially on the forefront of not only surfing Nazaré, but creating and managing safety protocols in the water. Both duties have put him in harm's way on a regular basis physically, as well as creating it's own mental toll.

In 2017 at Nazaré, Cotty suffered one of the most brutal wipeouts of his career, breaking his back (specifically, the L2 vertebrae).

Rather than end his career, it led to months of rehab and near-constant work to get back to XXL surf. Additionally, he's endured a torn ACL during a Punta Galea Challenge, severe hold-down/arm strains, heavy wipeouts and various close calls.

There's no doubt about it: Cotty is tough physically. And the reason he's on our list is that his mental mettle is just as impressive. With every hold down or wipe out, he comes up ready for the next wave and ready to make the next wave safer not only for him, but all surfers.

Sebastian Steudtner

Sebastian Steudtner has ridden one of the biggest waves ever surfed: an 86-foot monster at Nazaré in 2020, and a 93.73-foot wave in 2024.

His pursuit of monstrous swells has had a cost though: dangerous hold downs and heavy wipeouts that have resulted in bruised ribs, shoulder issues and more.

The reason Sebastian makes our list is of course his record breaking feats, but also the fact that he isn't chasing records; he's doing it for the love of the ride.

Garrett McNamara

From glacier swell in Alaska to single-handedly pioneering Nazare — a location where he surfed jaw-dropping 78 foot wave — Garrett McNamara has seemingly done it all in the big wave venue.

That alone earns him a spot on our list. What's also noteworthy is that even after such a profound legacy, he's still doing it: year after year, you can find him at big wave breaks around the world, including his adopted home of Nazaré.

Throughout all this, he's endured a physical toll: a broken arm, shoulder dislocation and much more.

When I chatted with him in 2013, he told me he wasn't trying to be the best big wave surfer. Instead, he was simply following what he called his blueprint, a strategy that helped him follow his dreams of chasing enormous swell.

Laird Hamilton

This wouldn't be a top 10 tough list without including Laird Hamilton. Laird began chasing big swell in Hawaii, being one of pioneers at Pe'ahi long before there were any cameras watching from the hill. His gravity-defying wave at Teahupo'o in 2000 shocked the world, going viral before the concept even existed.

Since then, he's continued to surf big waves out of passion, and his body has the receipts: head trauma, shoulder issues, and more. Over time, this led to an emphasis on fitness and health, which is why today he's a leading voice in how to take care of your body and prep it for peak performance.

Yes, Laird is tough, but what's even more impressive is how he's teaching others how to be tough enough to achieve their dreams.

Billy Kemper

Maui breeds big wave surfers, and Billy Kemper grew up hearing stories of the glory and gore of big waves. He's been charging big swells since he can remember, from Pe'ahi to Pipeline and many places abroad.

This has given him the resume of being one of the most decorated big-wave surfers of today, a multiple Pe’ahi Challenge champion and Big Wave Tour World Champion.

In Morocco in 2020, while seeking empty yet dangerous barrels, he was thrown onto a shallow rock and suffered everything you could think of: a cracked pelvis, collapsed lung, torn knee ligaments, and weeks of other painful injuries. The truth is that it was a near-life-ending wipeout that required major rehab physically and incredible mental resilience before he returned to heavy surf.

Yes, you can find Billy still charging big waves, including Pipeline. Each winter, you'll see him in and out of the contest jersey getting some of the biggest barrels Pipe has to offer.

Maya Gabeira

Maya Gabeira holds the women’s record for the largest wave ever surfed, but her journey to this feat wasn't easy and nearly deadly.

The Brazil-native won the Billabong XXL / Billabong Girls Best Overall Performance (big‑wave) awards multiple times between 2007 and 2012.

In 2013, she had a near-fatal wipeout at Nazaré where she lost consciousness and broke her ankle. It could have ended her big wave surfing career, but instead, she used it as motivation. Here's what's so tough about her: some of her biggest accomplishments came afterwards, including a 68 foot at Nazaré in 2018, which Guinness World Records later recorded as the biggest wave ever surfed by a woman at that time. In 2020, she followed it up with a 73 foot wave at the same location, beating her personal best and setting a new world record.

Justine Dupont

Justine Dupont is one of the most celebrated big wave surfers male and female alike. She's a 12‑time World Champion at the XXL / Big Wave Awards in categories such as Performance, Ride of the Year, and Biggest Wave).​ She's also a 3‑time Tow‑in Surfing World Champion.

All of this glory has come with its own set of challenges, both physically and mentally. She’s suffered a broken shoulder and ruptured knee ligament, and fought the mental challenges that come from seemingly endless hold downs.  

Despite every challenge, she's exhibited a rare toughness to keep her mind on her passion: making her next wave the best (and potentially biggest) one yet.

Greg Long

With wins at Mavericks events, the In Memory of Eddie Aikau and several XXL awards, California's Greg Long is one of the most accomplished big-wave surfers in modern day surf history.

But with these accomplishments comes a fair share of mental and physical challenges.

In 2012 at the big wave venue of Cortes Bank, he was caught in a three-wave hold-down, eventually blacking out just below the surface. Rescue skis eventually pulled him from the water, and he was airlifted by the Coast Guard to a hospital where he recovered.

Yes, Greg's accolades and history of trauma in waves earns him a spot on this list. But what we appreciate most about him is his selfless nature, especially when it comes to helping the surfing collective.

Greg has been a part of the Big Wave Risk Assessment (BWRAG) safety summits, and I've witnessed him firsthand recalling near-death experiences in the surf, and most importantly, what he learned so that surfers today can be as safe as possible chasing their own dreams.

Ross Clarke-Jones

When you surf some of the world's gnarliest waves decade after decade like Ross Clarke-Jones has, from from Waimea Bay to Pe’ahi, Shipstern Bluff and many places in between, you're bound to end up in a conversation about toughness.

The Aussie-native is an absolute legend. In 2016, I personally witnessed him charging during the 2016 In Memory of Eddie Aikau. When he came out of the water, I'll never forget that he wasn't scared or frightened. Instead, he was laughing.

His injury resume is just as extensive as you would imagine: Fractured ribs, broken nose, fractured ankle, concussion, and more. But talk to Ross, and he'll say it's all part of the glory and gore that is big wave surfing.

His legendary resume and his care-free attitude to the dangers of big waves is why he's on our list.

Carlos Burle

Carlos Burle, a two-time Big Wave World Champ, helped usher in the modern big-wave era as both a competitor and a tow-in pioneer.

The thing about big waves though is that it doesn't care if you paddle or tow; if you're in the wrong area at the wrong time, even for just a split second, you can get crushed. And Carlos has had his fair share of injuries that required physical and mental toughness to come back from, including near drownings at Nazare, heavy impacts at breaks around the world, a gnarly leg injury from leash entanglement at Peahi and more.

This, and the fact that Carlos was on the scene to help rescue Maya Gabriel during her 2013 near drowning, is why Carlos makes our tough surfers list.

Bonus: Anyone Who Surfs Pipeline

Pipeline is one of the most celebrated yet deadly waves that exists on planet earth. Powerful oceanic swells break atop a shallow reef just 30 yards from dry sand, and to make matters even more intense, it's constantly crowded, with surfers of different skill and language jockeying for each wave.

To paddle out at Pipeline requires tremendous mental toughness. To remain calm despite the competitive crowd requires emotional toughness. And to endure a wipeout requires physical toughness.

It's the toughest wave on the planet. That's why anyone who surfs Pipe and the waves around it — Backdoor, Off the Wall, Aints — earns a spot on our list one heck of a tough surfer.

That's our opinion. What's yours? If we someone should be on this list, let us know in the comments below.