Big wave surfing is a discipline in surfing where surfers paddle into or are towed onto waves which are at least 20 feet (6.2 m) high, on surf boards known as “guns” or “rhino chasers”. The bigger the wave, the faster it travels, and the bigger the surf board needed to catch it. Big wave surfing is a popular sport in Catlins. Ocean swells are waves on the surface of the ocean with long wavelength. It seems like the last time I talked to a sponsor they said that they weren’t really into sponsoring big wave riders which seems funny to me, because I think big wave surfing is the essence of surfing.

But they are more distant breaks where the surfers have to be towed into the waves by water scooters. At Waimea Bay, surfing is done as the Hawaiians did it centuries ago - by paddling furiously into a wave and hoping you get it before it gets you. Intimately documenting the lives of giant wave surfers as they seek out and ride monster waves Quest takes viewers into an elite subculture world of top athletes, big personalities and fierce passion for life and their sport. Hunting waves in the world’s most exotic locations, and during the awe-inspiring rides, viewers are taken on the trip of a lifetime never before captured as intimately and thoroughly as in Quest. On just 24-hours notice between January 1 and March 31, 2007, 24 legendary big-wave surfers will make the pilgrimage to the treacherous Mavericks surf break to compete for the famed title. This year, the invitees will compete for an impressive $75,000 prize purse.