The Tao of Surf Kayaking: How to Ride a World-Record Wave

There is at least one important difference between kayaking a two-story wave and riding it on a surfboard. “On a board, you can bail if things get ugly,” says pro paddler Tao Berman, 30. “But in a kayak, you’ll either get torn out of the boat and snap a femur or, if you’re lucky, stay in it and maybe crush some ribs.” Next year Berman will attempt to break the surf kayak record by riding a wave taller than 30 feet. (The highest ever surfed on a board was a monstrous 70-footer.) His secret weapon: a new boat designed specifically for big waves. Berman, who has barreled off 98-foot waterfalls and navigated 50-plus first river descents, is working with Ontario-based Murky Water Kayaks and designer Randy Phillips on a prototype (pictured below) that he’ll test off Hawaii’s North Shore this winter. Our R&D suggestion: an ejector seat.—Text by Andrea Minarcek