Viral footage has emerged online of Prince Harry showing off his impressive surfing skills at Kelly Slater’s Surf Ranch in Lemoore, California.
The Duke of Sussex could be seen effortlessly cutting across a 1.8m barrelling wave at the ranch in a video posted to Tahitian pro surfer Raimana Van Bastolaer’s Instagram account on Thursday.
Harry began the feat by maneuvering away from Van Bastolaer’s jet ski and leaping onto his feet in a crouch on his surfboard.
Viral footage has emerged online of Prince Harry showing off his impressive surfing skills at Kelly Slater’s Surf Ranch in Lemoore, California. Picture: Instagram
The Duke of Sussex could be seen effortlessly cutting across a 1.8m-barrelling wave at the ranch in a video posted to Tahitian pro surfer Raimana Van Bastolaer’s Instagram account on Thursday. Picture: Instagram
The California-based ex-working royal found his balance in just seconds.
He swiftly cut across the manmade barrel, which travels up to 700m and is located more than 150 km inland from the Pacific Ocean.
Van Bastolaer appeared ecstatic and shouted words of encouragement to Harry from the water.
“Move up, move up, yes,” he said, adding, “move your shoulder, yeah, nice. Keep going.”
Harry conquered the central artificial feature of Slater’s surf ranch, considered the best of its kind worldwide.
It is the only feature to receive World Surf League accreditation, making it fit to stage elite-level competitions.
Van Bastolaer said it was an “honour” to welcome the prince at the first-of-a-kind ranch.
“In tahiti, we still call you Prince harry but at surfranch, it’s my Brother,. It was an honor to have you surf with me,” he wrote.
It comes as conflicting reports suggest Harry could seek a phased return to the UK four years after he and his wife, Meghan Markle, moved to California in 2020.
However, others say the Duke is content with life in the celebrity enclave town of Montecito with the couple’s two children, Prince Archie, five, and Princess Lilibet, three.
Some of Harry’s fans took to Van Bastolaer’s post’s comments section to claim that the Duke’s surfing feat indicates that he will not return to the UK.
“Harry will never go back to rain and beans country,” said one person.
Another added: “Omg, the cool Prince strikes again! Love to see Prince Harry becoming a proper Californian.
“So glad Diana’s boy found his slice of happiness and joy with the family that he created,” they said.
A third person said Prince Harry had amplified his status as their favourite member of the British Royal Family.
“Prince Harry, you have always been my favourite royal guy but now you stole my heart forever. That was awesome,” they said.
“Prince Harry? Wants to surf now? That is the best athletic accomplishment of any Royal yet!” a fourth person added.
Harry and Meghan reportedly bought surf lessons for the Duke’s 36th birthday when they moved to Montecito, 90 minutes from Los Angeles.
Harry has since appeared to befriend surfing royalty Slater and Van Bastolaer, and the group appeared together at the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, in 2023.
Harry’s closeness to Slater may be contentious following the eleven-time champion public criticism of the Royal Family on social media after the Sussexes’ bombshell tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021
