Australian shreds record for longest surf session

BBC News:

An Australian man has broken the world record for the longest surfing session – and plans to continue riding waves until Friday evening local time.

Blake Johnston’s record break came after 30 hours and 11 minutes in the waves at Cronulla beach in south Sydney.

Describing himself as “pretty cooked”, Johnston told reporters he would keep going as “I still have a job to do”.

His board-riding marathon has raised some $A240,000 (£132,000) for charity.

With spotlights to illuminate a section of Cronulla’s surf known as “The Alley”, Johnston kept going overnight and by Friday lunchtime had ridden over 600 waves.

The 40-year-old former pro surfer and distance runner faces the risk of blindness, infected ears and dehydration, as well as sleep deprivation, hypothermia, shark attack and jellyfish stings.

He emerged briefly from the water at lunchtime on Friday for a medical check-up, and to receive eye-drops.