Video: The World's Best Tow Surfers, Kai Lenny and Lucas Chianca

Tow surfing is contentious, fringe, a nutso little hobby.

Is it cheating? Using the assist of motorized aquatic vehicles – most often a jetski – to match mother nature, and surf ungodly-sized waves. As opposed to surfing these massive waves with nothing but a big-ass surfboard, and one’s own two arms.

Are we playing god? Is tow surfing…blasphemy? Or innovation?

Two surfers who – goddamnit, forgive the pun – toe the line of tow surfing’s merits are Hawaii’s Kai Lenny and Brazil’s Lucas “Chumbo” Chianca.

At places like Nazaré in Portugal, Kai and Chumbo stand out from the pack. They’re towing in behind the peak. They’re going deeper, bigger, faster. Hell, they’re even turning Nazaré into an unlikely air wave with chop hops, reverses, and backflips.

Without doubt, they’re one of (if not the) best tow team in the world.

And surf industry luminaries agree.

During a recent episode of the Nate and Koa Podcast, Nathan Florence and Koa Rothman (predominantly paddle surfers in big waves) discussed. Koa kicked it off:

“I’m not the biggest fan of tow surfing.

However, there were a few caveats, as Koa continued:

“I do agree that there is a time and place and a wave for it. But I would say those two [Kai Lenny and Lucas Chumbo] are very entertaining to watch. Even on the biggest wave, if they’re towing in, they’re doing like airs down the face, and they’re doing huge cutbacks or carves.

“Or even massive chop-hops, like, flying out the back 40 feet. Whereas, I’ve never seen other tow guys do that. They look like a video game.”

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