Hailing from the archipelago known as the Inner Hebrides, Ben Larg took the fast track to a surfing life. By 12 years old, he was a Scottish national champion. At 14, he rode his first wave at Mullaghmore. By 16, he had towed Nazaré. Now age 20, Ben is a frequent flyer between Ireland and Portugal. Much of his winter is spent training and surfing Nazaré. But when swell and wind align across the sea, he has no qualms heading 1,000 miles north to the legendary slab.
If you search Ben’s name on Google, you’ll read about how he famously filled in for Garrett McNamara at the 11th hour for the 2025 Nazaré Big Wave Challenge. In his first big-wave event, Ben finished third in the individual standings and third in the team division (with fellow UK surfer Andrew Cotton). Overnight, his profile rose like a Naz peak.
But Ben is just as interested in crouching low under the cold, dark Mully lip as he his outrunning a Nazaré avalanche. Watch the clip above to see him square up (backside) with a burly Irish wall in the middle of a frigid winter day. Twenty years old and it looks like he’s had a few of these already.
Related: Scottish Slab Hunter Gets Too Deep at Huge Mullaghmore