A German surfer may have broken his own record by riding the biggest wave in history, claiming the wall of water measured a staggering 93.7 feet.
Sebastian Steudtner says he surfed the “unsurfable” at the famous big wave spot of Nazaré, Portugal, earlier this year.
The 38-year-old currently holds the Guinness World Record for a wave he surfed in 2020, also in the fishing village, that measured an incredible 86 feet.
While big-wave surfing record attempts have historically been measured by analyzing footage and images, Steudtner’s latest venture used innovative drone technology.
The ‘Mission Wave Alpha’ has seen him training for the perfect wave for years, and the extreme athlete decided the time was right to surf the biggest waves of his life when Nazaré saw ‘historic’ conditions in February.
Spectacular aerial footage shows Sebastian Steudtner taking down huge foaming waves in Nazaré, Portugal
The 38-year-old currently holds the Guinness World Record for a wave he surfed in 2020
A crowd gathers in Nazaré, Portugal, as Steudtner was filmed making the record attempt in February.
Steudtner chose February 24 because it was “the biggest storm and the biggest waves in the last three or four years.”
“For the first time we were surfing the biggest waves in stormy conditions that were considered unsurable,” he said.
The waves in Nazaré can reach the height of a ten-story building and are formed by an underwater canyon off the coast that is five kilometers deep.
Surfers have suffered serious injuries attempting mountainous waves, and last year veteran Brazilian surfer Marcio Freire lost his life after falling off his board.
Dramatic aerial footage shows Steudtner taking down huge foaming waves, knowing that one mistake could send him tumbling from terrifying heights.
The video, shared on his Instagram, also shows him being towed into the huge waves by a jet ski, allowing surfers to reach some of the largest bodies of water in the world.
Observers suggested that some waves may have surpassed the mythical 100-foot mark, a height Steudtner has set himself to surf at.
A drone can be seen floating above one of the towering waves Steudtner surfed in February.
The video, shared on his Instagram, shows Steudtner being towed into the huge waves by a jet ski.
The ‘Mission Wave Alpha’ has seen the German athlete training to achieve the perfect wave for years
Porsche helped him with training during their partnership over the past three years, and Steudtner’s extreme training led him to get on a surfboard inside a wind tunnel designed for cars.
Automaker engineers also developed cutting-edge drones to help measure waves in surfers’ record attempt.
Official confirmation of the new world record lies with the official governing body, the World Surf League.
Marcus Schmelz, project manager at Porsche Engineering, believes the technology can help “advance the sport of surfing.”
Steudtner’s extreme training led him to ride a surfboard inside a wind tunnel designed for racing cars.
Engineers at automakers developed cutting-edge drones to help measure waves.
“Our goal is to further increase transparency in big wave surfing and provide accurate measurement data more quickly,” he said.
“For me, the record is definitely secondary to riding the wave and everything that comes with it,” Steudtner said. cnn Sport.
“I think what was special about this last big day in February was that we surfed in conditions that had never been surfed before.”
The largest wave ever surfed by a woman was completed by Maya Gabeira in 2020, also in Nazaré.
The Brazilian was swept into a 73.5-foot wave, which was also the biggest of the year and surpassed her own previous record of 68 feet.
Steudtner’s intrepid feat comes after Australia’s Laura Enever set a new women’s big wave rowing world record last year.
The intrepid Australian Laura Enever has entered the Guinness Book of Records after surfing the largest wave ever ridden by a woman.
On January 22, 2023, Enever paddled out into a monster 43.6-foot wave at the famous Himalayan break off the north coast of Hawaii.
“I knew it was big when I paddled out to it and then when I took off I looked down and knew it was definitely the biggest wave I had ever caught,” he said. “I knew it was the wave of my life.”
The 31-year-old surfer from Sydney was on the WSL professional circuit for seven years before boldly deciding to pursue her passion: big wave surfing.
The men’s rowing record, which involves entering waves unassisted, is held by Hawaiian Aaron Gold, who surfed a 63-foot wave in 2016.