World Record: Most Surfers Ever On One Wave

World Record: Most Surfers Ever On One Wave

A SURF Coast surf school has celebrated its 25th anniversary by claiming a world record at Anglesea with a little help from 120 surfers.

The record was for the largest number of surfers to ride a single wave and will be officially recorded by Guinness World Records.

Organiser Wes Smith from Go Ride a Wave surfing school said the previous record of 110 was set in South Africa three years ago.

"The new record now stands at 120 following our successful attempt (on Saturday)," Mr Smith said.

"The rules were simple: All surfers had to ride the same wave in at the same time and stand for at least five seconds while doing so."

There was a time limit of one hour from when the first attempt began for a new record to be set.

Mr Smith said the event attracted more than 200 board riders.

"The trick was to get them all to do the same thing at the same time," he said. "It was an operation of military-like precision and we finally got there."

The event required an army of workers, wave spotters, on-water group leaders, camera crews and official scrutineers.

When likely waves loomed a siren sounded and the board riders paddled.

Everyone hoped that everyone else was on the same page and the same wave. There was some confusion early on when large numbers of riders had trouble remaining upright. But on the eighth attempt, which was completed just within the time limit, the record fell.

Mr Smith said applying for entry to the Guinness book was complicated.

"They sent us a Brazilian rainforest worth of paperwork to register the attempt initially," he said.

"Then we had to video it before two judges from Surfing Australia and four other independent stewards."

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