Ever wonder what the biggest wave ever surfed was? Earlier this year, professional surfer Garret McNamara broke his own record when he surfed a monstrous 100+ foot wave off the coast of Portugal. The previous record, set by McNamara just over a year ago, was for riding a 77-foot wave around the same region. This time, however, he smashed the record by a whopping 23 feet!
Life of McNamara
Born August 10, 1967 in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, McNamara always had a certain connection to the ocean. At the young age of 11, he moved with his family to Hawaii were he got his first taste of surfing. It wasn’t long before McNamara was participating in surfing tournaments and contests around Hawaii, oftentimes gaining sponsors from local shops and surfing accessory retailers. In 2002, McNamara won first place at the Tow Surfing World Cup in Maui, as he walked away with a $70,000 cash prize. To this day, that’s the largest single payout from any surfing event.
Of course, McNamara’s surfing adventures didn’t end there. In 2007, he took his love for the sport to new level by surfing tidal waves caused by crashing glaciers off the coast of South-Central Alaska. A film crew tagged along for McNamara’s adventure capturing everything on tape.
Setting The Record Straight
In January, 2013, McNamara set out to break his own world record for riding the largest wave in history. This wouldn’t be an easy feat, as his previous record was a 77-foot wave. However, McNamara set off to Nazaré, Portugal with a single goal in mind – to set a new world record.
Nazaré, Portugal is a region known for its incredibly large waves. Scientists and oceanographers believe the large waves here are a direct result of the undersea canyon that sits beneath. McNamara waiting around his hotel in Nazaré, Portugal until the conditions were just right. When the winds were moderate and the waves were tall, he went out and successfully rode a 100+ foot wave, shattering his previous world record.
Video of Garret McNamara Riding 100-Foot Wave
Want to see just how large McNamara’s world-setting wave was? Here’s a collage of footage taken from an amateur filmmaker during the event. It’s only a trailer, so you don’t get the “full” grasp of just how massive the wave is. It does, however, give you a pretty idea of the ocean setting and setup for the wave. The video has already received an impressive 2.9 million views after being uploaded for only a couple of months, so check it out!