New film champions women surfers tackling the huge waves of Nazaré
- Text by Sydney Lobe
- Photography by Maddie Meddings
Undercurrents — Filmmaker Maddie Meddings’ latest documentary focuses on big-wave superstar Laura Crane as she helps prepare 16-year-old Imari Hearn to take up big wave surfing.
Undercurrents, a new film by award-winning filmmaker and photographer Maddie Meddings, follows two British surfers – Laura Crane, one of the world’s most celebrated big-wave female surfers, and Imari Hearn, a young rising star – as they face Portugal’s infamous Nazaré waves.
Nazaré, a humble seaside fishing town north of Lisbon, is one of the world’s premier big wave hotspots. It holds the record for the largest wave ever surfed, with Sebastian Steudtner riding a 93.73ft (28.6m) barrel in 2020. The huge waves are formed by the merging of North Atlantic winter storms and an underwater canyon, which acts as a channel for Atlantic groundswells.
In 2024, former Huck cover star Crane became the first British woman to surf a 60ft wave at the spot, and in late 2025, she rode a huge wave that she believes was bigger than the existing world record held by a woman (73.5ft by Maya Gabeira in February 2020).
The documentary follows the pair as Crane helps to prepare 16-year-old Hearn to tackle a big wave at Nazaré, through practice sessions on the Mentawai Islands, ice baths and jet ski training – and finally their trip to Portugal. It explores the huge mental commitment it takes to surf big waves – where one wrong move could lead to serious injury – as well as the intense physical training that they undergo too. Both Crane and Hearn are members of Team O’Neill.
Meddings directed, filmed, and edited Undercurrents. “It’s so important to tell these stories of female athletes especially in extreme sports because they’re still a minority,” she said. “Physically mentoring them and paving the way for them to enter these arenas is the first, most important step, but then telling their stories is the second, so that those who might not have that opportunity themselves can still feel represented in media.”
Undercurrents is set to premier 10 April in Bristol, followed by a series of screenings across the UK throughout the rest of the month. For the full list and tickets, visit Maddie Meddings’s website.
Sydney Lobe is a freelance journalist. Follow her on Instagram.
Buy your copy of Huck 83 here.
Enjoyed this article? Follow Huck on Instagram for more from the cutting edge of sport, music and counterculture.
Support stories like this by becoming a member of Club Huck.
You might like
Laura Crane is waving goodbye to sexism in surfing
The first UK woman to surf the legendary big wave spot Nazarè, Crane is surfing the sea change in the sport and beyond.
Written by: Sam Haddad
In photos: The gritty golden age of the UK’s skateboarding scene
Elsewhere — A new book from Science Vs. Life founder Neil Macdonald explores the characters, photographs and ephemera that defined the sport in the ’80s and ’90s, just before the internet and commercialisation changed it forever.
Written by: Isaac Muk
New film spotlights London’s Bubble Club, the party by people with learning disabilities
Radically inclusive clubbing — Produced by Muddled Marauders and currently fundraising for completion, the feature documentary focuses on the inclusive night, which has been in operation since 2005.
Written by: Roxana Diba
Sophie Green’s maximalist, technicolour vision of Britain’s fringes
Tangerine Dreams — The photographer has spent over a decade documenting the rituals, subcultures and social gatherings that form the collaged fabric of the UK’s society. A new exhibition at the Martin Parr Foundation celebrates her work and the communities she captures.
Written by: Roxana Diba
Jack Johnson’s third act
SURFILMUSIC — Three decades on from his trajectory-altering crash at Pipeline and subsequent music career, the singer-songwriter looks back at his life and work in a new, expansive film.
Written by: D’Arcy Doran
The miracle of FK Bodø/Glimt, the football team at the edge of the world
Arctic Gleam — The Norwegian underdogs have become darlings of European football after David and Goliath victories over some of the sport’s giants. Yet scratch below the surface, you’ll find a blueprint for success rooted in community and sustainability.
Written by: George Timms
