Mason Barnes is a stylish guy. He literally stars on magazine covers for fashion brands like Loewe and Schön. Once, he even appeared in a Miley Cyrus music video (yep, that’s him spraying her with the hose).
But Mason also has a screw loose when it comes to big waves. He’s made headlines for towing into Nazare as big as it gets (He won a 2022 Red Bull Big Wave Award for the Biggest Tow wave for a particularly proper bomb). But in this nomination into the 2024 SURFER Big Wave Challenge, he got the nod for paddle wave from Mullaghmore Head, Ireland’s cold shoulder to Teahupo’o.
This one stays square almost from the start, then throws open comically wide. It’s easily one of the thickest tubes you’ll see wrangled by hand this winter anywhere on the globe. A thankful Mason, who rode the wave on this 30th birthday, gave props to those who lent a hand to make this moment happen.
“A paddle wave from today in Ireland,” he wrote on Instagram. “I’m beyond grateful to feel this amount of energy on my birthday. Thank you to all the locals for being so welcoming, thank you @mr__mantis for running safety and making this wave happen, thank you @whitewaterwilly for leading the way, thank you @gearoidmcdaid for the board, and thank you @thridlink for putting yourself in a dangerous situation to document these special memories. This was a dream of mine for a long time and today it finally came true. I will share the video soon. Frame: @thridlink”
And what a video it is.