Alva Review-Courier -

To say Koa Smith was at the right place at the right time is perfectly accurate.

To say he got lucky — that's missing the point.

Perched precariously on his surfboard, the 23-year-old from Hawaii rode a wave off the coast of Namibia, on the western shore of Africa, for 120 straight seconds. He stayed upright for nearly a mile (1.5 kilometers) as he traveled through an unheard-of eight barrels — the hollow formed by the curve of the wave as it breaks over the rider's head.

Almost as amazing — Smith and videographer Chris Rogers filmed the entire ride using both a drone that hovered overhead, an...