Jamie
Mitchell

Jamie Mitchell has carved his name in the chronicles of sporting history thanks to his unparalleled thirst to conquer global ocean swells. There is no other water-focused athlete in existence like Jamie, he is a true Renaissance Waterman. Australian-born and raised, now living on the North Shore of Hawaii, Jamie has forged a deserved reputation as one of the world’s elite ocean athletes by pushing the limitations of human potential.

A 10-time winner of the prestigious Molokai to Oahu Ocean Paddling Championships, World Champion ocean paddler, and a member of the small group of unique big wave surfers with the ability to paddle into monsters without the assistance of a jet ski, he is a true all-round waterman.

No one in the history of the Molokai has dominated in the way Jamie has. Thirty-two gruelling miles (fifty-two kilometres) across the notorious Kaiwi Channel of Hawaii pushes competitors to their physical and mental limits as they battle surging swells, scorching sun, whipping wind, and some of the strongest currents on the planet.

A fearless Big Wave surfer, Jamie has also been honoured with invitations to some of the world’s elite big wave riding events, including the Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational (ten-time invitee), WSL Peahi (Jaws) Big Wave Challenge, and WSL Nazare Tow-In Challenge. He was nominated for Billabong’s XXL Big Wave Awards for a huge wave ridden at Maverick’s in Northern California and won the Biggest Paddle-In Wave of the Year.

In 2014 he made international media headlines thanks to his courage during the storm Hercules, the biggest swell in 20 years to hit Europe, at Belharra in France.

Never one to limit his opportunities to experience everything the ocean has to offer, Jamie has adapted to almost every form of wave-riding craft, from tow-in surfing to stand-up paddleboards, foilboards, canoe surfing, and shortboards. A qualified and experienced lifeguard, Jamie’s exploits have also earned him membership of the informal but esteemed 30/20 Club, a group of elite watermen who have paddled 30 miles or more through open ocean and ridden 20-foot-plus waves by the traditional paddle-in method.

World surfing champions like Kelly Slater and Mick Fanning, Ironmen like Trevor Hendy, and Hawaiian surfing greats like Brian Keaulana are united in their respect and admiration for Jamie’s skills and achievements.

A relentless adventurer, Jamie continues to chase big waves and search for new surf spots around the world, equipped and ready to do what it takes to meet the next epic swell head-on.

Giving back and using his profile to do good is part of Jamie’s core character. In 2013 he relocated to Monaco to help create The Princess Charlene de Monaco Foundation, which he is still involved in today.

In 2019 Jamie created the Seven Crossings Project. Paddling 170 miles (273 kilometres) over five days through the Channel Islands off the California coastline, he raised awareness around the research and work being undertaken by the Wrigley Institute for Environment and Sustainability. Jamie is currently working on a second series of the Seven Crossings Project that will premiere in 2024.

For Jamie, the ocean is many things, best friend, challenger, teacher, and home. Through his love of the ocean and by simply following his passion, he has inadvertently carved out a unique and exciting position in today’s global surfing culture, a position he intends to maintain for many years to come.