Australian surfer Blake Johnston smashed the world record for the longest surfing session, catching waves for over 30 hours straight.
The 40-year-old former pro surfer broke down in tears after surpassing South African Josh Enslin’s previous record of 30 hours and 11 minutes. Johnston battled swarms of jellyfish and pitch-black seas teeming with sharks at Sydney’s Cronulla Beach, cheered on by hundreds of supporters.
During his short breaks for food and water, he thanked the crowd before paddling back out to attempt to break the 40-hour mark. Despite feeling “pretty cooked”, Johnston persevered and continued his attempt.
The surfing marathon was undertaken to raise more than Aus$200,000 (US$133,000) for mental health, marking the 10th anniversary of his father’s suicide. With Sydney experiencing a minor heatwave, the water temperature remained around 24 degrees Celsius (75F).
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