The Skeleton Bay Shootout presented by Monster Energy took place over three days in late June in nonstop threetosix foot barrels in Namibia. The speciality event looks to recognise the standout surfers of the swell at the best wave in the world and the rules are simple – show up and pull in.

“The Skeleton Bay Shootout is a peerjudged event and it’s pretty underground. Noones really knows when it will happen, it’ll just popup depending on the swell and whoever is there is there,” says Eli Beukes, who put in a solid showing on his first trip to the iconic lefthander on the edge of the Namib Desert. “It’s pretty cool because it’s mostly going by word of mouth and whoever has been the surfer of the swell or gets the best barrel will get a bit of a cash prize at the end.”

This was essentially a dryrun for the concept. Now Now Media is planning a series of Shootouts based on the same idea at some of the most incredible waves around the world in 2024 and looking to bump up the prize money significantly. The prizes are a nice way to recognise who was charging but it’s not about the money. There’s always so much stoke when waves like this are firing and anybody who gets a good wave out there is a winner the end of the day. The Shootout is essentially a celebration of that.

A Now Now Media Production presented by Monster Energy
Produced by Alan van Gysen
Edited by Dane Staples
Directed by Will Bendix
Executive Producers Ryan Franklin & Ryan Payne
Director of Photography Alan van Gysen
First Camera Pete Beukes