The Biggest Wave Ever Ridden

NO APRIL FOOLS: No Photoshop involved here. This is officially the biggest wave ever ridden.

Sebastian Steudtner (GER) has set a new Guiness World Records title for the largest wave surfed (unlimited) – male. As part of the Red Bull Big Wave Awards, the WSL has officially analysed, measured, and verified Sebastian Steudtner’s 2021 Big Wave Award-winning ride at Praia do Norte in Nazaré, Portugal on October 29, 2020 at 86 feet (26.21 meters) from trough to crest.

The ride won the Biggest Tow Award at the 2021 Red Bull Big Wave Awards making it eligible for World Record verification. The achievement was announced at a special ceremony upon the grounds of the famous lighthouse that stands watch over the waves of Praia do Norte.

An official Adjudicator of Guiness World Records presented Steudtner with a certificate that declares him the current record holder for men’s largest wave surfed. Steudtner’s record beat Rodrigo Koxa’s previous record by 6 feet, which was caught on November 8, 2017 at the same location of Praia do Norte, Nazaré.

HAND OVER FIST: Sebastian Steudtner receives his Guiness World Record at Nazare. Photo WSL

Several frames from the video footage were extracted and corrected geometrically based on the camera position and inclination. Using known objects such as the jet ski and actual measurement of Steudtner’s body geometry, it was possible to calibrate the images for conversion from pixels to feet. The location of the trough and crest of the wave was determined from analysis of the video from two different angles.

{youtube}CIXbZPHLv2o{/youtube}

The announcement coincides with the publication of the 2022 Red Bull Big Wave nominees by the World Surf League, and that collection of gnarly photographs from a bumper big wave year, particularly at Nazare, could just compete with Steudtner's bomb.

Many of the 2022 entries are from two gigantic sessions that straddled the window period from the winter of late 2021 and early 2022 in the northern hemisphere, although Shipstern Bluff in Australia makes just one southern hemisphere entry.

CAUGHT UP? Justine Dupont dominates the tow category with three entries in 2022. Photo WSL