A British surfer smashed the world record for bore riding last Thursday. Steve King surfed the Severn Bore on his 3m surfboard for 12km. Crowds cheered from the riverbank as the father of three sped along the wave in a wetsuit and woolly hat, at speeds of up to 32kph.

The bore is a natural tide, which pushes a 1.2m wave up the Severn Estuary just a few times a year; it is the second biggest bore in the world. Many surfers including professionals and competitors from Australia and Hawaii lined up last Thursday to take up the challenge but most had fallen off after just 3km. King’s new record of 12km in 77 mins has toppled the previous bore-riding record of 10km, set by Serginho Laus in Brazil last year.