Australian surfs for 40 hours to smash world file, braving pitch-black seas and dodging swarms of jellyfish

Australian Blake Johnston on Friday shredded the world file for the longest browsing session, dodging swarms of jellyfish to journey a whole lot of waves throughout 40 punishing hours.

The 40-year-old former browsing professional broke down in tears after smashing South African Josh Enslin’s earlier file of 30 hours and 11 minutes.

Johnston surfed again to shore within the night to rapturous applause from a whole lot of supporters who had gathered at Sydney’s Cronulla Beach to observe.

Wearing a black cowboy hat and draped in a thermal blanket, he was carried off the seashore on his mates’ shoulders after lastly hanging up his surfboard.

Johnston raised greater than Aus$330,000 (US$221,000) for psychological well being, taking up the file to mark 10 years since dropping his father to suicide.

He rode greater than 700 waves in setting the file, braving pitch-black seas which are dwelling to many species of shark.

“I’ve still got a job to do. I said 40 (hours) so I’ll go and give it a crack,” he advised reporters earlier within the day, after passing the earlier 30-hour file.  

“I’m pretty cooked, yeah, but we’ll push through.”

Johnston finally surfed for greater than 40 hours — having began at 1:00 am on Thursday, utilizing giant spotlights to light up the water — however his official file time was not instantly identified.

Under the principles of the try, he was allowed to sporadically go away the ocean so he might soothe his eyes with eyedrops, refuel with snacks and lather himself up in sunscreen.

Medics would test his coronary heart price and blood strain earlier than he dashed again into the swell.

With Sydney within the grip of a minor heatwave, the water temperature has been hovering round a balmy 24 levels Celsius (75 levels Fahrenheit), lessening the chance of hypothermia.

Johnston had initially deliberate to boost cash by tackling a 1,000-kilometer run, however settled on browsing when he noticed the earlier file was “only” 30 hours.

“I thought I could just do it,” he mentioned earlier than the try.

“I push myself to the limits with my adventures and to prove to myself that I’m worthy and can get through hard times, and that’s when my lessons are learnt.”

He anticipated contaminated ears, dehydration and sleep deprivation would push his physique to its limits.

Johnston’s brother Ben mentioned they’d additionally ready for the potential for a shark assault, but it surely wasn’t one thing that had anxious them.

“I surfed at two in the morning with him and the lights actually went out so it was pitch black,” he advised nationwide broadcaster ABC.

“There were a whole bunch of jellyfish out there, so it was interesting to say the least.”

It is just not Johnston’s first time participating in a marathon take a look at of human endurance.

In 2020, he ran 100 kilometers alongside the rugged shoreline south of Sydney — overlaying the overwhelming majority of the trek in naked ft.