The inaugural Natural Selection Surf event is set to begin today, February 18, on Red Bull TV and the Natural Selection Tour YouTube channel, with the finals scheduled for February 20. The competition, held in a remote part of Micronesia, brings world-class surfers to an unforgiving and spectacular righthand reef pass, known for its power and unpredictability.
Surfers Soli Bailey, Harry Bryant, and Noah Beschen recently described the wave as a “freight train”—a perfect storm of beauty and danger. Remarkably, despite being professional surfers who travel the globe for a living, none of the competitors had surfed this particular wave before. With limited flight connections and the wave’s fickle nature, preparing for the event was a challenge. Still, the surfers were rewarded with some of the most incredible conditions.
“It’s a heavy right point—probably one of the heaviest I’ve surfed,” said Bailey, known for his exceptional tube-riding skills. “The footage does it justice, but it’s always heavier in real life.” He described the wave as “a full-on point-slab,” moving “ridiculously quick” with no mercy for those who misjudged it. “It has no remorse,” he added.
Bailey had heard whispers about the wave’s potential before the trip, but he knew that its ideal conditions—wind, tide, and swell—were elusive. During the week-long stay on a nearby island, the surfers saw the wave go through various moods. It ranged from playful sections to rough, onshore conditions, but when it was firing, it delivered barrels that could swallow up entire boards.
“It draws everything from the ledge and comes out of crazy deep water,” Bailey explained. “It feels like Teahupo’o or Kirra, where you look down the line and think, ‘I really have to get on the gas to make this thing.’”
Fellow surfer Harry Bryant compared the wave to P-Pass, Micronesia’s more famous surf spot. However, he noted that this reef was less defined, and the wave was exposed to the full force of the wind and swell. “You’re basically bobbing around in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, coping with everything nature throws at you,” Bryant said.
Noah Beschen, who scored one of the trip’s biggest barrels, added that the allure of surfing an unfamiliar wave made the experience even more special. “None of us had been there before, and surfing a new wave is rare at this point,” he said.
The wave’s unique bathymetry added to its mystique. Bryant described the hydrodynamics in the lineup as unlike anything he had experienced. “Right behind the wave, it’s incredibly deep. You don’t even necessarily see the sets approaching,” he said. “The water can evaporate right under you.” The rapid change in depth—from shoulder-deep over coral to a steep 200-foot drop—added an element of unpredictability to every session.
Despite the wave’s intimidating power, the surfers managed to avoid serious injury. Bailey did receive several stitches after his board hit his arm, and a member of the safety team sustained cracked ribs during a freesurf session. Still, all competitors pushed through the challenges. “It was a miracle we pulled this off without anyone getting seriously hurt,” Bryant said.
The event promises to be an exciting watch, with the final rounds expected to feature waves so big they were described as un-paddleable. As the surfers reflect on their journey, Bryant summed it up: “It was a refreshing feeling as a surfer. Everything felt new and fresh, and then to have an event in conditions like that—it was surreal.”