Please select your home edition
Edition
Mackay Boats 728x90 TOP

Robby Naish - The Longest Wave

by Red Bull 6 Aug 2021 06:38 PDT
Robby Naish © Red Bull

Over the course of 40 years, professional waterman, Robby Naish, won over 150 tournament victories and became a 24-time world champion. His purpose in life every day was about competing and being an exceptional athlete.

So now in his fifties, as he figures out what to accomplish next in his life, The Longest Wave documentary sheds light on his career during transition from competing to life after professional sport, a perspective rarely documented.

From award-winning director Joe Berlinger (The Cecil Hotel, Paradise Lost, Brother's Keeper, Metallica: Some Kind of Monster and Crude) the new windsurfing documentary film, The Longest Wave, debuts worldwide on Red Bull TV, a free, On Demand streaming service on 10th August.

Berlinger departs from the true crime drama to dive into a world totally unfamiliar to him. The Longest Wave transcends the action sports category by capturing obstacles outside of the legendary athlete's professional life in an intimate, cinéma-vérité style, revealing Naish balancing the pursuit of excellence at sea with the demands of life's challenges on land, including family, injuries, getting older and the risks of continuing to participate in considerably dangerous sports.

Whilst examining a different subject genre with The Longest Wave, Berlinger does stick to type. Having created film where he delves deep into the psyche of musicians and serial killers, his most recent focus, a competitive and successful athlete, is unsurprising. Choosing interesting, and not necessarily obvious, mainstream characters for each of his documentaries, the award-winning Director manages to capture those extra moments, the deep-rooted personality traits that seem to transcend across his chosen areas of interest, adding sportsman this time to his repertoire.

Common traits across the chosen subjects chosen by Berlinger include attention to detail, a desire to succeed, the need for excitement, ability to keep a clear head and an unrivalled aptitude to manage stress* which he manages to document expertly in his latest film with Naish.

So, is Berlinger following a pattern with his chosen subjects? The documentary The Longest Wave is the next in his series of subjects that have chosen careers offering physical natural highs. Whilst musicians and sportsmen feel the high from audience reaction or participation in a competition, the serial killer's brain also enjoys the natural high when in action.**

Berlinger says, when choosing his subjects, he does so by "Remaining open to the situation that you're filming otherwise you might miss the story."

He continues "I've never worked with a sportsman, but I believe there is so much to a person than the black and white soundbites you see of someone's life, I wanted to show the multiple sides to his story through this film. It is full of raw emotion."

Robby Naish won his first windsurfing world title aged 13 and he has been at the forefront of windsurfing, kitesurfing, paddleboarding and more recently foil boarding. Berlinger exposes what happens when a 24-time world champion from Hawaii, who paved the way for new extreme sports, is told to stop. Does the clock stop ticking, and all you have worked for come to an abrupt end? Robby is far from ready for his life to lose the meaning and purpose he's always leaned upon.

The Longest Wave is a film that looks at the man behind the sports he grew, and who has reached what he is told is his last goal, his final title. The film captures the story of the man continuing his quest for brilliance by challenging himself to ride the world's longest wave, yet unexpectedly reveals his vulnerabilities as a businessman, an innovator who is constantly crafting and developing, as a mentor for upcoming talent, and as a father who's been on the road many days of his daughters' lives.

The film premieres August 10 only on Red Bull TV, a free, on demand streaming service available on the web and as an app across devices big and small. Watch the premiere here.

Related Articles

A more sustainable Transat Café L'OR edition
The race aims to be innovative and a driving force for the transitions taking place in ocean racing For the upcoming 17th edition, the TRANSAT CAFÉ L'OR Le Havre Normandie is stepping up its commitments to take better care of the earth's climate and the natural, living planet. Posted today at 10:28 am
Engedinwing 2025 WingFoil Racing World Cup preview
The world's most daring wingfoilers are heading for the heights... literally The world's most daring wingfoilers are heading for the heights - literally - as the Ensis ENGEDINWING 2025 WingFoil Racing World Cup Switzerland descends on lake Silvaplana. Posted today at 9:19 am
Diverse maxi fleet ready for Loro Piana Giraglia
Inshore/coastal racing prior to the event's famous offshore race to Genoa The International Maxi Association's 2025 Mediterranean Maxi Inshore Challenge (MMIC) continues tomorrow, Saturday 7 June with the first of four days of inshore/coastal race of Loro Piana Giraglia, organised by the Yacht Club Italiano Posted today at 9:04 am
Marine Auctions: June online auctions
Bidding to open on Friday 20th June The Bidding for the June Online Auction will commence on Thursday 20th June and will end on Thursday 26th June at 2pm AEST. Posted today at 5:19 am
2025 Santa Maria Cup in Annapolis, USA Day 3
Nicole Breault and Allie Blecher to meet in the final USA's Nicole Breault / Vela Racing and Allie Blecher / Team Baam have both advanced to the final of the Santa Maria Cup in Annapolis, the second stage of the 2025 Women's World Match Racing Tour championship. Posted today at 4:48 am
Scandinavian Gold Cup at Sopot, Poland Day 2
Three boats are now through to the final stage Three boats are now through to the final stage of the Scandinavian Gold Cup in Sopot, Poland. Aspire, Marie-Françoise XXII and Artemis (NOR 57, Kristian Nergaard, Johan Barne Trond, Solli-Sæther) have each won one race each. Posted today at 1:48 am
49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 Europeans Day 4
Bergmann with Wille keep their nerve to move into FX lead Olympic veterans in the 49erFX Marla Bergmann with Hanna Wille (GER) kept their nerve and used their speed to move into the lead, scoring the fewest points on day 4. Posted on 6 Jun
Windies Multihull Trophy winners announced
Thirty multihulls competed across eighteen events from Barbados to the British Virgin Islands. With the conclusion of the 2025 season, the Caribbean Sailing Association's Budget Marine Windies Multihull Trophy results are in! Posted on 6 Jun
Galicia 52 Super Series Royal Cup Day 4
Hutchinson adding the missing element as American Magic Quantum Racing close in on title Now holding a 13-points lead after today's two races contested at the Galicia 52 Super Series Royal Cup, American Magic Quantum Racing crew are on the cusp of completing their first 52 SUPER SERIES regatta win since victory in Barcelona in September 2022. Posted on 6 Jun
Emirates GBR looking to bounce back
At the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix this weekend Emirates GBR Driver Dylan Fletcher said the team was "looking to bounce back" at the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix this weekend, following a "tough time" at the back-to-back US events in LA and San Francisco in March. Posted on 6 Jun
North Sails Loft 57 PodcastArmstrong 728x90 - Performance Mast Range - BOTTOMDoyle_SailWorld_728X90px_cruise BOTTOM