Incredible pictures of Prince Harry showing off his surfing skills in California have emerged online.
Royal can be seen expertly surfing the big waves at surf superstar Kelly Slater’s ‘Surf Ranch’ in Leemore, Central California, more than 100 miles from the ocean.
In the video posted on professional surfer Raimana Van Bastolaer’s Instagram account, Harry is seen taming “the wave.”
Captioning the post, Van Bastolaer, famous among the surfing community for his big wave exploits in Tahiti, said: ‘In Tahiti we still call you Prince Harry. But at Surf Ranch, he’s my brother. It was an honor to have you surf with me and Kelly Slater.
Beginning by riding alongside Van Bastolaer’s jet ski, Harry pulls away as the wave begins to appear, before expertly jumping onto his board.
The Duke of Sussex then finds his footing and, under Van Bastolaer’s instructions, skillfully negotiates the rising wave for almost a minute.
The wave is the centerpiece of Slater’s surf ranch and is a 6-foot man-made barrel wave, the first of its kind, lasting up to 2,300 feet.
Considered the best artificial wave in the world, it remains the only one to have received accreditation from the World Surf League, meaning it is suitable to host elite competitions.
Prince Harry seen here riding alongside Raimana Van Bastolaer’s jet ski, moments before taming ‘the wave’
The Duke of Sussex can be seen jumping expertly on his board
Harry rode ‘the best artificial wave in the world’ for just under a minute
Under Van Bastolaer’s instructions, Harry deftly navigated the rising wave.
Harry previously received surfing lessons from Meghan four years ago.
Harry photographed at the end of a nearly 2,300-foot run on ‘the wave’
Since leaving the United Kingdom four years ago, Harry and his wife Meghan Markle have been residing in the picturesque surroundings of Montecito, California.
Upon their arrival in the coastal city, located about 90 minutes north of Los Angeles, Meghan reportedly bought Harry surfing lessons for his 36th birthday.
Also regularly seen cycling around Malibu’s famous Surfrider Beach, it’s clear that Harry has taken advantage of those lessons.
During his time in America, Harry has also apparently struck up friendships with surfing royalty, such as 11-time world champion Slater and Van Bastolaer, with the group pictured together at last year’s Formula 1 Grand Prix in Austin, Texas.
This blossoming friendship with Slater may come as a surprise, however, after the surfing phenom openly criticized Harry and Meghan on social media in the wake of their explosive 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey.
It seems Harry has been able to overcome this though, and his surfing skills are certainly impressive under the tutelage of Slater and Van Bastolaer.
