The Longest Wave Ride in the World: The Bono Tidal Bore

Everyone knows about the world records for the biggest waves—dropping down an 80-foot monster face at Nazaré or Jaws. But what about the record for the longest continuous wave ride in the world? How long could a single ride last? One minute? Five minutes? Ten minutes? What about distance—500 meters, a kilometer, five kilometers?

Get ready for this mind-blowing record: 64 minutes of continuous surfing over a distance of 12.8 miles (20.65 kilometers) on a single unbroken wave!

Imagine locking into a wave, popping up, setting your trim line, and surfing for well over an hour without ever getting off your board. Who set this incredible Guinness World Record? A humble railroad engineer and dedicated British surfer named Steve King.

Where Does This Miracle Wave Form?

You might guess Hawaii, Peru’s Chicama, or the endless point breaks of Australia. But this wave isn’t even in the open ocean! It is an extraordinary natural phenomenon known as the “Bono” tidal bore on the Kampar River in Sumatra, Indonesia.

A tidal bore occurs when rising ocean tides funnel into a narrow, shallow river estuary. As the incoming sea water collides with the downstream river current, it compresses into a series of rolling, stepped waves that travel upstream against the river flow for tens of kilometers.

In the Words of Record Holder Steve King:

“It was utterly incredible. I only hopped off because the wave finally ran out of river section. While riding, I spotted a few crocodiles along the banks, and I can tell you that adds some serious adrenaline!”

“I’ve been surfing for over 30 years. The Seven Ghosts tidal bore on the Kampar River was only pioneered by surfers recently, and I couldn’t pass up the chance to surf it. The wave travels at about 25 km/h (15 mph) and reaches up to 10 feet high in sections. We saw several juvenile crocodiles—and where there are babies, you know the big mothers are lurking nearby. But we’ve surfed the Amazon Pororoca before, which has plenty of wild creatures too. When you are on a wave like this, you just focus on the magic of the ride!”

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Indonesia never ceases to amaze surfers—from the world-class reef breaks of Bali to the mystical river bores of Sumatra, the archipelago remains the ultimate playground for wave lovers.