Blakey Johnston surfs 4,000 waves in 25 days, a new world record

The Guardian

01-08-2025

Johnston is no stranger to endurance challenges. A professional surfer since he was 16, he previously broke the world record of longest surfing session by surfing for over 40 hours, catching 707 waves. This most recent challenge, breaking the world record for most waves surfed in a month, would see him take to the water 256 times. This photo was taken 22 days into the challenge on 25 July 2025 – Johnston's biggest day, in which he caught 232 waves over 14 sessions.
Johnston changes boards between each session, as some are better for beginner and intermediate surfing, and others more suited to advanced barrels.
His wife, Lauren Johnston, tells Guardian Australia that during the challenge, Blakey would leave the house at 5.30am. Some nights he wouldn't be home until after 11pm.
The challenge tested his physical and mental endurance. 'He feels a lot better in water than when he gets out,' says Lauren. 'When he sits in the car at the end of the day, the body seizes up [and] when he is lying in the bed, he is twitching. He gets about 4 and half hours sleep each night, but even then it is not a good sleep, it's a broken sleep.'
Johnston's philosophy has always been to stretch himself. 'You can make things happen in your life, and you are the author of your own story,' he says. 'Why not reach big, and go after big things?'
When spending so long in cold water – in this photo, the water was around 11C – booties and gloves are essential.
The cowboy hat, which he surfs in on easier waves, has become Johnston's signature. He wears it to protect his fair skin from the sun, but also because he likes to be different. 'Normal is boring,' he says. Sometimes he wears a viking helmet instead. Photograph: Jessica Hromas/The Guardian
On a small break between surf sessions, Johnston uses the time to eat homemade oat biscuits and get his temperature checked. He doesn't sit down, preferring to keep moving.
One day during his world record attempt, Johnston found himself surfing alongside a group of men on a buck's day out during the advanced morning session at the Sydney sports centre Urbnsurf.
Johnston surfed all the available sessions, which varied in difficulty from beginner to advanced. The cowboy hat came out for the easier waves.
Johnston likes to change his board and swap sides of the wave pool after each session. Over the course of the world record challenge he did 169 sessions and 2,817 waves from the left, and 87 sessions and 1,280 waves from the right.
Nearly every second day, Johnston's son would come out and surf with him. 'He has been feeling the highs and the lows, all the emotions,' says Lauren. 'Our son has lifted his energy, coming out to surf with him and watch him.'
On the last day and night of the challenge, fans came out to cheer Blakey along.
Johnston broke the world record officially on 4096 waves, but seven is his lucky number. After a quick temperature check, he got back in the water to catch one more wave, bringing his final total to 4097.
A surfing guard of honour greeted him as Johnston finally left the pool. He had spent a total of 17hrs, 58min, 21sec on top of the waves themselves.
'I think the most important promises we make … are the promises we make to ourselves,' Johnson says.
Johnston shares a hug with his wife, Lauren, after the final surf.
He also has his first hot shower in eight years – generally he prefers cold water.
There is a physical toll from all this surfing, most visible on his feet, which have sustained very painful blisters. He has had to take a course of antibiotics to clear them up, as well as an ear infection he contracted after spending so much time in the water. Photograph: Jessica Hromas/The Guardian
'The hardest part is the physical,' Johnston says. 'It's been tough; my feet, my ears. Mentally, I have been great. I backed myself. I knew I could get here.' Photograph: Jessica Hromas/The Guardian
His friend, surfing great Tom Carroll, speaks fondly of him: 'He is mad, but I like mad. I relate to him.' Photograph: Jessica Hromas/The Guardian
'Everyone deserves to feel awesome,' Johnston says.
Photograph: Jessica Hromas/The Guardian