Lanny-yap: Daredevil Surfs 100-Foot Wave In Portugal

30 January 2013

Daredevil Surfs 100-Foot Wave In Portugal

World record-holding surfer and known thrill-seeker Garrett McNamara is believed to have surfed the biggest wave ever, a 100-footer he rode off the coast of Nazaré, Portugal. Word of the feat still has to be confirmed by the good folks at Guinness, but the 45-year-old Hawaiian is stoked by the accomplishment.

“Thank you for all your support. It means the world to me,” McNamara tweeted yesterday. “Today was an awesome day and so fun to be out there.”

A picture of the feat, taken by surf photographer Tó Mané, underscores the enormity of what McNamara has done. He is but a tiny dot on the face of the wave.

McNamara is no stranger to epic waves. He already held the title for the biggest wave ever surfed, having nailed a 78-footer at the Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards in Nazaré already. This record was originally reported to be 90 feet and not the actual 77.7559 feet that was later announced after video and photo analysis.

So was this really a record breaker? Whatever the final outcome, that was one amazing ride. Nazaré is considered to have the perfect conditions for big-wave surfing thanks to the Nazaré Canyon, an underwater canyon that is 1,000 feet deep, three miles wide and 105 miles long. When Atlantic swells hit the canyon, it funnels them out, creating monster waves like the two caught by McNamara.

Wired

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30 January 2013

Daredevil Surfs 100-Foot Wave In Portugal

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