HBO Max Announces Documentary Series ‘100 Foot Wave’

 Streamer HBO Max has ordered a six-part documentary series from filmmaker Chris Smith and executive produced by Joe Lewis called “100-Foot Wave,” which follows surfing pioneer Garrett McNamara, who, after visiting Nazaré, Portugal in hopes of conquering a 100-foot wave, pushed the sport to ever-greater heights and alongside locals helped transform the small fishing village into the world’s preeminent big-wave surfing destination. “100 Foot Wave” is also executive produced by Maria Zuckerman, Ryan Heller and Michael Bloom.

The logline: After being recruited by a band of Nazaré locals who hoped to see if the dangerous swells they had observed their entire lives were surfable, McNamara – the Guinness World Record holder for the largest wave ever surfed for eight years – and his wife, Nicole, traveled to the remote city in 2010 to pursue the monster waves. Standing atop the city’s abandoned 500-year-old lighthouse, they witnessed surf more dangerous than any they had ever seen, and a possible answer to Garrett’s lifelong quest to ride a 100-foot wave. In the years to come, their journey helped attract the most fearless big-wave surfers to Nazaré and helped solidify it as the marquee destination in the sport.

“100 Foot Wave” interweaves the transformative story of the seaside village with McNamara and his peers’ ongoing search for the tallest wave on the planet. The series captures the common spirit and fearless passion shared by McNamara and big-wave surfers from across the world as they push themselves through life-altering injuries and tantalizing near-misses in their collective pursuit of the inconceivable. The series is produced by Topic Studios, Library Films and Amplify Pictures. It is directed by Chris Smith; executive producers, Chris Smith, Joe Lewis, Maria Zuckerman, Ryan Heller and Michael Bloom.