Behind the Scenes From the Biggest Day in Maverick’s History

How well do you remember the biggest, scariest, meanest session of your life? Maybe it’s flashes of adrenaline, creating strong fragments of memory. Or perhaps you can recall in full detail the grueling paddleout and that closeout set that made you pray to your leash’s structural integrity. 

Some swells are more memorable than others, and for the few who went through the fog bank at Maverick’s on December 23, 2024, it was a day they’ll never forget. One year and some change after the fact, Luca Padua has dropped a remarkably detailed account of that historic session.  

The 30-minute film is a well-edited piece by Evan Paterakis, whose first time shooting any surf footage from water-level happened to be on the back of a jet ski this very day. The video gives context to the moment, adding in Luca’s draw to the wave as a child, the eye-popping numbers that lit up the swell charts, and the strength Luca draws from his friends and family. But between Evan, Dom Padua, Jack Sandler and Tucker Wooding, there's a plethora of A+ drone and water-angle footage that convey the raw, long-period energy pulsing over the reef. Like a horror movie in the theater, it's scary yet impossible to look away.

There’s plenty of behind-the-scenes footage layered with explanation from Luca. From pre-dawn coffee to in-the-dark goodbyes in the harbor, you’ll see how he and Alo Slebir approached the most impactful session of their lives. It starts with coffee, football, hugs from mom, words from dad. It ends with brutal wipeouts, cartoonishly huge waves, and the largest wave ever ridden at Maverick’s (we see you, Alo). 

Luca's father's advice to him and Alo, given just before the action began, echoed in his consciousness and is etched in his mind to this day: "Make it count." Safe to say they did. Luca is also making his platform count through Bigger Than Waves, a campaign to raise funds, support and medical treatment for combat veterans. You can learn more about the project here.