A “sneaker wave” is not, as you might think, a swell of K-Swiss shoes. It’s actually characterized as a random wave that’s hugely disproportionate to the rest of the wave train. One second, it seems like a calm day at the beach, but before you know it, you’re in a Kelly Slater surf video.
And that’s exactly what happened to Steve Raplee and some other bystanders on a beach in Oregon. He thought he was filming a quiet moment at Coos Bay, but seconds later, he was telling everyone to run for cover.
That escalated quickly! Everyone made it to dry land before the surf could crush them, despite the hilarious lack of urgency in Raplee’s voice. Seriously, this guy is about to get eaten alive by the elements, but he sounds like he’s reading a piece on NPR.