10 Best Fictional Surfing Characters in Cinema

Surf culture has a plethora of representation in the cinematic world. From documentary style classics like Bruce Brown's The Endless Summer to high-intensity classics like Kathryn Bigelow’s Point Break, the wave riding scene has found prominence on the big screen. Thanks to all this production, several fictional characters have had the chance to exhibit their wave-riding prowess.

This list highlights the best of the best. 

Honorable Mention: 

Lt. Colonel Bill Kilgore- Apocalypse Now (1979) 

Sure, he may be a controlling, amoral warmonger and love the “smell of napalm in the morning,” but his passion for surfing goes deep.

This fictional surfer is “not afraid” to surf in the middle of war, with bombs exploding all around him, because it’s not everyday one stumbles upon a wave that “breaks both waves.” You simply can’t knock his crazed dedication to the sport.

He cares about surf history, using the call sign “Big Duke Six” as an homage to Duke Kahanamoku, and he is adamant about getting his troops to the waves---fear of death and low tide be damned. 

Words of Wisdom: “You either surf, or fight!” 

10) Jeff Spicoli - Fast Times at Ridgemount High (1982) 

While we never get to visually witness Spicoli riding waves, his laid back demeanor and contagious stroke are the foundation of the quintessential surfer.

It’s hard to imagine that Spicoli wouldn’t be great. He quite literally only wants to surf, evident through his famous quote, “All I need are some tasty waves, a cool buzz, and I’m fine.” That being said, without visual proof to back up his big talk and big dreams, it’s hard to know if Spicoli really rips. 

Words of Wisdom: “I'll tell you, surfing's not a sport, it's a way of life, it's no hobby. It's a way of looking at that wave and saying, "Hey, bud, let's party!" 

9) Big Z - Surfs Up (2007) 

The spiritual advisor (and archetypical mentor figure) to Cody Maverick, few surfers rival the level of ocean knowledge Big Z has.

In true, corelord fashion, he abruptly left the competitive scene to surf empty waves on Pengu Island.

There, he truly embraces the “flow state” of surfing. While he urges Cody to embrace the wave's rhythm, his mentorship exemplifies the soul surfer mentality.

Best quote: “You let the tool do the work, you see? Just like you're riding the wave, you let the wave do the work. You don't fight the wave.” 

8) The Silver Surfer - The Fantastic 4: First Steps (2025) 

This should be a given. Just look at the name. The only being on this list who can surf anytime, anywhere in the universe, is the Silver Surfer.

As with most beach bums, dry spells are the Silver Surfer’s worst nightmare: all power is lost when separated from her board.

Indeed, a few too many days without surfing and Shalla-Bal loses all of her mojo, just like the rest of us. 

Words of Wisdom: “Hold your loved ones close and speak the words you've been afraid to speak.” 

7) Bear - Big Wednesday (1978) 

Similar to Big Z, Bear is a philosophical, cryptic wave-ridding guru. He is a student of the history of surfing, and gifts that knowledge to the next generation in true mentor fashion. He understands surfing is not just a sport, but a way of life.

Despite all his knowledge, he retains a humble, stoic demeanor as he checks out the surf and advises the younger generation.

Truly humble and at peace with himself, when asked about his surfing career, he famously proclaims: “Nah... Not me, I'm just a garbage man." People like Bear exist to remind us why we surf to begin with.

Words of Wisdom: “That's the lemon next to the pie.” 

6) Batman - from Season 3, Episode 10 (1967): “Surfs Up! Joker’s Under!” (1967) 

In this short 1967 Batman episode, we witness the Caped Crusader not only win a surfing championship but also fend off both a great white and the Joker in the process. Few humans, if any, are as fearless as the Dark Knight.

There’s no doubt in my mind that, if required, he could handle some of the most powerful and dangerous waves in the world.

Even the fiercest sharks fear the Bat. And let’s be honest—Alfred would probably hook him up with some top-of-the-line surfing gizmos. Indeed, when a shark appears while surfing Malibu first point, Batman gets “50” points “for avoiding a dangerous hazard” thanks to his “shark repellent batspray.” 

Words of Wisdom: “Go for your surfboard. Mine’s outside.” 

5) Nancy Adams - The Shallows (2016)

The film’s tagline says it all: “What was once in the deep is now in the shallows.”

A hungry shark, after brutally consuming parts of a dead whale and other rippers, sets its sights on devouring Nancy Adams. Little does this shark know that it has messed with the wrong surfer.

Nancy Adams, using little more than her wits and a flare gun, single-handedly takes down one of the largest, most ferocious sharks in film history (“Bruce” from Jaws would take the top spot) in the 2016 thriller, The Shallows. That right there is enough to earn her a top spot on this list.

Let me know when somebody else swims to the bottom of the sea floor to trick a maneater into impaling itself on rebar! Furthermore, she gets right back in the water as soon as she’s healed from her injuries.

Truly a surreal level of commitment to surfing, making her family proud. 

Words of Wisdom: “GET OUT OF THE WATER! SHARK!” 

4) Turtle- North Shore (1987) 

We hear you Turtle (even if you think nobody is listening). Turtle is one of the most quotable fictional surfers in cinematic history. He knows how to treat friends “mo bettah,” which is why he is willing to hang out with Rick Kane when everyone else on Oahu won’t give him the time of day.

In fact, it is Turtle that introduces Kane to his mentor, Chandler, and without that fateful meeting, Kane wouldn’t have had the opportunity to ride boards that are made “one way—the right way.” It is this opportunity that allows Rick to understand the soul of surfing.

None of which would be possible without Turtle— a character, it turns out, that can shape a pretty mean surfboard himself. 

Words of Wisdom: “When the wave breaks here, don’t be here. Or you’re gonna get drilled.” 3) Rick

Kane - North Shore (1987) 

Sunset, Pipeline, Arizona wave pools—there's not a single kind of wave that Rick Kane can’t surf.

While he initially struggled to handle the power of Oahu swell, some guidance from local legends Chandler and Turtle turned Kane from an ill-advised kook to a surfing superstar.

Ultimately, he has to battle the menacing Lance Burkhart (played by surfing great Laird Hamilton).

While he fails to come out on top, he exposes Burkhart for his cheating habits, and cements himself as a top competitor in the sport. Not to be forgotten is his unmatched talent in the wavepool.

Rick Kane was truly ahead of his time when it came to freshwater surfing, and it’s no question he could hang with the likes of Felipe Toledo and Italo Ferreira if they matched up at a venue like Kelly Slater’s Surf Ranch in the middle of California or deep in the heart of Texas at Waco Surf. 

Words of Wisdom: “I never thought I’d get this far.”

2) Bodhi - Point Break (1991) 

Unquestionably the most “core” surfer on this list. He knows when the “little hand says it's time to rock and roll” just like he knows that it's the “system” that “kills the human spirit.” Played perfectly by the late Patrick Swayze, Bodhi lives for the adrenaline rush.

His career choice is quite literally robbing banks- so that he can be freed up to ride more waves.

The pinnacle of his life comes as he finally surfs the “fifty year storm” that he often discussed with Johnny Utah and his crew.

He paddles out in torrential rain at quadruple-overhead Bells Beach. It doesn’t get much gnarlier than that.

To cap things off, his last Earthly action is riding one of these monsters. Surfing is truly everything to Bodhi—so much so that he’s willing to pay the ultimate price for the ultimate wave. 

Words of Wisdom: “If you want the ultimate, you've got to be willing to pay the ultimate price. It's not tragic to die doing what you love.” 

1) Chicken Joe - Surf's Up (2007) 

Who else but Chicken Joe? Nobody embodies the surfing spirit as well as this skinny little chicken.

While he is a successful competitor, he loves surfing for its zen aspect.

He seeks to be at peace with nature, remains calm in the face of adversity, and becomes one with new cultures.

Not even the jungle rattles him, as he knows the “jungle is, like, the most peaceful place on the planet.”

He knows when it’s simply time to relax and stare into the infinite— enjoying a “cloud” that “looks like a kitten.” He’s never afraid to help out the younger surfer like Cody, and when a solid wave does come his way, you can bet he’ll surf it perfectly. Cavernous tube over sharp lava rock? No biggie for Chicken Joe. He handles it all with grace. 

Words of Wisdom: “I know he's out here. I can feel it in my nuggets!”