Celebrities Who Surf
From Lady Gaga's first lessons to Minnie Driver's lifelong devotion, a look at the celebrities who surf – the recent converts and the long-time veterans.
In this article, you'll learn
- Which celebrities have taken up surfing in recent years
- Who are the longtime veteran surfers among the stars
- How stars like Helen Hunt got into surfing through film roles
- Why surfing appeals to jet-setting celebrities on vacation
Plenty of famous faces surf, and they fall into two camps: the ones who picked it up on a whim, and the ones who have quietly loved it for years. With the time and money to chase the best beaches on the planet, it is no wonder so many stars grab a board when the schedule clears. From Hawaii to Australia, they have been spotted catching waves between making them.
The recent converts
Lady Gaga made the tabloids when she took lessons in Puerto Vallarta – no outrageous outfits, no eight-inch heels – and tweeted a photo of herself riding a wave. Ashley Greene, of the “Twilight” films, took lessons too, minus the social-media frenzy, at an Oakley surf clinic in Bali.
Then there is Helen Hunt, who played Bethany Hamilton’s mother in Soul Surfer. She learned to surf for the role and kept at it once filming wrapped. “I’m comfortable on my board,” she says with a laugh.
The long-time veterans
Some stars have been mixing in with serious surfers for years. David Beckham surfs with his sons in tow. “Parks and Recreation” star Rob Lowe is a regular in the water, and even Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne has taken to it.
Minnie Driver, most recently in “I Give It a Year”, has built surfing into her life for decades. “Surfing is an utter, necessary part of my life,” she explains.
If a screen role can turn an actress into a lifelong surfer, you can see why the sport keeps pulling people in. For a look at how it shows up on the big screen, browse our roundup of surfing Hollywood movies, or explore what draws people to the water in the first place in what is surf culture.