Introducing Jamie Mitchell

Indisputably, the world’s greatest ocean paddler. One of the world’s elite ocean athletes

 

World Champion ocean paddler, big wave rider, international swell chaser, all-round waterman - no one label adequately describes Jamie Mitchell and that’s just how he likes it.

 

Basing himself in the picture perfect surf of Australia’s Gold Coast Jamie has forged a deserved reputation as one of the world’s elite ocean athletes.

 

At the top of Jamie’s list of achievements proudly sits his eight consecutive Molokai to Oahu Ocean paddling championships. Raced over 32 grueling miles in the postcard perfect waters of Hawaii competitors are pushed to their physical and mental limits and beyond by surging swells, scorching sun, wind and some of the strongest currents on the planet. To simply finish this event is in itself an achievement. To dominate as Jamie has is incredible. Since 2002, Jamie has won virtually every major paddleboard race he has entered.

 

A fearless Big Wave surfer Jamie has also been honored by invitations to some of the world’s elite big wave riding events including the Tow-in World Cup and the Mavericks Paddle-in contest. In 2007 Jamie was nominated in Billabong’s XXL Big Wave Awards, for a huge wave ridden at Todos Santos, Mexico.

 

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 to Standup Paddleboards, Foilboards, Canoe surfing, and shortboards. A qualified and experienced lifeguard. Mitchell’s exploits have also earnt him membership of the informal, but esteemed 30/20 Club, of elite watermen who have  paddled 30 miles or more through open ocean, and ridden 20 foot waves by the traditional paddle-in method.

 

A relentless adventurer, Jamie continues to chase big waves and uncover new surf spots around the world, equipped and ready to do what it takes to meet the next epic swell face on. Having dominated ocean paddling races throughout the world for the best part of a decade, Jamie has earnt a unique, international standing as an elite ocean athlete. 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 Mitchell’s skills and achievements.

 

With a year-long calendar that follows the world’s major paddleboard races, in Australia, California, Hawaii and Europe, and spontaneous swell-chasing missions around the world, weather it’s competing at Molokai, towing into the giant waves of Australia’s southern coast, or paddling into more Mavericks and Todos monsters you can rest assured that for as long as the ocean continues to reign supreme as the ultimate force of nature Jamie will be there in the thick of it pushing himself to the limit, loving every minute of it and enthralling all those who bear witness to his skill, commitment and passion.

 

 

Spend time with Jamie and you get the feeling that Jamie would have been right at home had he been born a few hundred years ago in Hawaii, where an entire lifestyle revolved around the ocean and wave-riding skills were essential tools of survival.

 

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 that he intends to maintain for many years to come.