Surfing
Surfing
The 11 biggest waves ever surfed
As the heavy water community continues to train harder, go bigger, and push limits, the list of big waves ridden upscales accordingly. Dive into the record books with us here.
Big wave surfing is one of the ultimate thrills, where surfers conquer massive walls of water that defy comprehension. The unquenchable thirst for adrenaline and pursuit of world records is a surfer’s life.
Take that directly from surfer Kehu Butler, who’s already won multiple championships — but he’s not done yet.
“My ultimate goal is to be world surfing champion one day,” says Butler. “I just want to go hard and give it my best every time I get on the water.”
Maybe one day Butler will tackle the biggest wave ever surfed and add his name to the list of greats who’ve surfed the 11 biggest waves.
Learn more about Nazaré: The huge waves that command respect
Few waves inspire as much shock and awe as Nazaré Praia do Norte. The jewel in Portuguese surfing's crown regularly serves up 100-foot (30.8m) walls of water each northern winter, surfers hitting speeds of up to 80kph and knowing that a mistake could see them hit the water with an impact comparable to a car crash.
Since the mid-noughties, the Portuguese fishing village of Nazaré has lured as many big wave surfers as it has sardine, squid, and tuna, and once Nazaré pioneer Garrett McNamara first found the record books taming a 23m monster in 2011, it has been the scene of a string of big wave world records, alongside long-established heavyweights like Jaws in Maui and Mavericks in California.
Kai Lenny
© Mattias Hammer
While most surfers approach the waves of Nazaré with the abundance of caution you'd expect, Kai Lenny, widely regarded as the most well-rounded waterman in the world, treats the sand bottom peaks as his own personal terrain park. He lands numerous flips and spins when strapped in and towing into enormous swells.
“For me, it’s like the ocean is a battery pack,” says Lenny. “I get energy from being in the water, and when I’m not, I don’t have that same spark. The light in my eye dims, maybe. I think for my soul itself, there’s no better feeling than riding a wave.”
Lenny has won competitions in every form of ocean board sport, from tow surfing to windsurfing to long-distance standup paddling. His life is so unique that it inspired Red Bull TV's "Life of Kai" documentary series.
Justine Dupont surfs the greatest wave of her life in Nazaré, Portugal
© Rafael G. Riancho / Red Bull Content Pool
Lenny does not yet own the record for the biggest wave ever surfed. But he’s considered to be part of the Holy Grail for hard-charging watermen and women who are recognized annually at the Red Bull Big Wave Awards – surfers like Justine Dupont, Lucas Chianca, Ian Walsh and Grant 'Twiggy' Baker.
If Lenny is to etch his name at the top of big wave surfing's most prestigious honor roll, the 11 waves below are the ones he needs to supersede. It would be a brave person who'd bet against Lenny or Nazaré.
01
Sebastian Steudtner, 93.73 feet, Praia do Norte, Nazaré, Portugal
The blue slopes of Nazaré. Sebastian Steudtner.
© Bruno Aleixo
Sebastian Steudtner of Germany surfed an almost 100-foot wave, breaking his own record in the process. Riding this massive 93.73-foot (28.57m) wave in February 2024, Steudtner surpassed his previous world record of 86.4 feet set in 2020 (and the second spot on this list). The conditions were intense and stormy, but that didn’t stop Steudtner from making history. Steudtner's feat was aided by cutting-edge surfboard technology, developed in collaboration with Porsche.
With official confirmation pending, this might soon be the biggest wave ever surfed. But whether or not it breaks the world record (also his), it’s clear that Steudtner continues to redefine what’s possible in the world of big-wave surfing.
02
Sebastian Steudtner, 86 feet, Praia do Norte, Nazaré, Portugal
Germany is a not-quite landlocked country, but it is definitely not known for its waves or surfers, which makes Steudtner’s first world record even more exceptional.
Even though Steudtner suffers from vertigo — far from ideal when staring down at a 90 foot drop — he holds the Guinness World Record for the biggest wave ever surfed, after riding a 26-meter behemoth at Nazaré on October 29, 2020.
03
Rodrigo Koxa, 80 feet Praia do Norte, Nazaré, Portugal
Carlos Burle and Rodrigo Koxa at Praia do Norte in Nazare, Portugal in 2017
© Hugo Silva
Before Steutdner, Brazilian Rodrigo Koxa held the world record for the biggest wave ever ridden, another Nazaré 80-footer was conquered on November 8, 2017.
Brazilian surfers have dominated the men's WSL Championship Tour over the past decade in a movement nicknamed the Brazilian storm. However, Brazil has few big wave breaks, making Koxa's success all the more significant, his record a worthy acknowledgment of his dedication to the pursuit of supersized waves.
04
Garrett McNamara, 78 feet, Praia do Norte, Nazaré, Portugal
2 min
Discovery of Nazaré with Garrett McNamara
Garrett McNamara recalls the email that preempted his first trip to Nazaré and altered the course of his life.
Garrett McNamara is widely recognized for putting Nazaré on the map as a world-class big wave. Since first venturing to Portugal in the mid-2000s, the Hawaiian has dedicated his life to surfing Nazaré, fostering the sleepy fishing village as a mecca for the big wave community in the process.
One of the first to have consistently surfed Praia do Norte on its biggest days, McNamara worked tirelessly alongside the Nazaré community to ensure the necessary protocols were developed and put in place. It is fitting that McNamara was the first to set a world record at Nazaré, when he rode a 78-foot (23.8m) wave on November 1, 2011.
05
Mike Parsons, 77 feet, Cortes Bank, California, USA
Big wave surfer Mike Parsons with the tools of his trade
© Peter Hamblin/Red Bull Content Pool
Coaching Up: Mike Parsons
Most big waves are fickle, and some only appear a few times a year or less. Cortes Bank, where California surfer Mike Parsons rode a 77-foot (23.5m) wave on January 5, 2008, is one of the rarest of gems.
More than 100 miles off the Californian coast lies Cortes Bank, surfing's wildest frontier. Known as the “Phantom of California,” this surf spot requires a flawless swell forecast, a small armada of watercraft, and an incredibly detailed mission for tackling the waves before you can even dream of surfing it. Getting to Cortes is almost as dangerous as surfing it due to the tricky waters and submerged islands hidden just below the surface, but if everything lines up perfectly, as it did for Parsons and tow partner Brad Gerlach in 2008, you might just catch the biggest wave of your life.
06
Justine Dupont, 75 feet, Cortes Bank, California, USA
Justine Dupont's career session, 100 miles off the coast of California
© Frank Quirarte/Red Bull Content Pool
On January 13, 2023, Justine Dupont, Lucas Chianca and a cross-section of the big wave surfing fraternity's finest boarded their armada of boats, PWCs, and rescue craft and set off to the fickle open ocean wave that breaks atop the crest of a subsea mountain.
The results of the day at Cortes Bank, as seen in the Almost Eddie Swell recap, were spectacular. It was Dupont who stole the show at this event. Her 75-foot (22.9m) monster was a contender for a Guinness World Record for the biggest wave ever ridden by a female.
07
Maya Gabeira, 73.5 feet, Praia do Norte, Nazaré, Portugal
5 min
Maya Gabeira returns to Nazaré
After two years Maya Gabeira overcomes her pains, traumas and the dreaded waves of Nazaré, Portugal.
Resilience is a common theme among big-wave surfers. They know that no amount of training can prevent freak accidents. Nobody knows this better than Maya Gabeira, who nearly died while surfing huge Nazaré in 2013.
Gabeira's recovery was far from immediate, as documented in Red Bull TV's Return to Nazaré. The wave she fell on was so big it would have been a world record at the time. On February 11, 2020, her heroic comeback was completed when she rode a 73-foot (22.3m) wave, putting her name in the record books at the same beach that almost claimed her life a few years earlier.
08
Francisco Porcella, 73 feet, Praia do Norte, Nazaré, Portugal
The heaviest wipeout in surfing history? Yes.
© Ben Thouard
Redemption stories are the bread and butter of the big wave surfing world, and Francisco Porcella’s 73-foot (22.3m) wave on October 24, 2016, at Nazaré is no different. After a string of scary wipeouts and back-breaking injuries suffered at waves like Teahupo'o and Jaws, Porcella's spirit for chasing massive moving walls of water remained intact. Even after his record-breaking Nazaré wave, Porcella continues to challenge himself in waves of consequence, from Europe to the Pacific, whether in Fiji or where he was raised in Maui.
09
Yuri Soledade, 71 feet, Peahi/Jaws, Maui, Hawaii, USA
Yuri Soledade surfs Jaws
© Arquivo Pessoal/Bidu
Yuri Soledade, born in Brazil but a resident of Hawaii, had to hide his surfing from his parents as a child because they thought the sport was for lazy people. Soledade has shared, in several interviews, how he had numerous obstacles to overcome as a youth to achieve what he has today. Although his February 25, 2016, Jaws ride is not the biggest wave on this list, it's the only one that includes a successfully ridden tube, which adds technical difficulty to this ride far beyond simply successfully riding a wave of 71 feet (21.6m).
10
Sebastian Steudtner, 71 feet, Praia do Norte, Nazaré, Portugal
Sebastien Steudtner in Nazaré, Portugal in 2014
© Jeff Flindt
German surfer Steudtner moved to Portugal to maximize the opportunities he'd get to surf big waves at Nazaré. The fact that Steudtner holds both the first, second, and 10th positions on this list is a testament to his dedication and abilities. This 71-footer (21.6m) was surfed on December 11, 2014.
11
Justine Dupont, 70.5 feet Praia do Norte, Nazaré, Portugal
Justine Dupont surfs the greatest wave of her life in Nazaré, Portugal
© Rafael G. Riancho / Red Bull Content Pool
February 11, 2020, was a momentous day for women in big wave surfing. Red Bull surfer Justine Dupont rode a 70-foot (21.5m) wave at Nazaré, on the same day as Maya Gabeira’s 73-foot (22.3m) wave. While events like Red Bull Magnitude are helping to encourage more women to pursue big wave surfing, it's inspirational women like Dupont and Gabeira who are pushing the cause harder than anyone.
This list might focus on the biggest waves ever surfed but don’t forget about other record heights out there. Some paddle waves can almost reach Dunpont’s 70.5 footer. Paddle surfers in Hawaii hold a record of their own.
Biggest Paddle Wave, Aaron Gold, 63 feet, Jaws, Hawaii, USA
Aaron Gold rides the biggest wave ever paddled, at Peahi, Maui
© WSL/Brent Broza
"When the wave came, it was coming in fast, and I needed to get moving," Aaron Gold told the world while onstage in California to receive the WSL's Biggest Paddle Wave Award at the 2016 WSL Big Wave Awards. "I committed 100 percent to the wave, and the rest is history. I didn't even realize what I had done until everyone told me how crazy it was."
Gold surfed the 63-foot (19.2m) wave at Jaws on January 15, 2016, cementing his name in history.
"This wave picked me up beautifully, and I never looked back," Gold continued. "It was truly meant to be, and I'm stoked to have achieved a new Guinness World Record for that ride."
Biggest Female Paddle Wave, Laura Enever, 43.6 feet, Outer Reef, Hawaii, USA
Laura Enever and her 44ft Outer Reef record breaker
© WSL/Daniel Russo
On January 22, 2023, Championship Tour surfer-turned-big-wave-fiend Laura Enever paddled her way into the Guinness World Records, making the drop on a 43.6ft (13.3m) beast of Oahu, Hawaii.
“I knew it was big when I paddled into it," Enever told the WSL after the record was announced. "When I took off, I looked down, and I knew it was definitely the biggest wave I've ever caught. I knew it was the wave of my life, the whole way it all came together and the way I committed, backed myself, told myself to go, and trusted I could do it. The ride was such a breakthrough for me and a moment that will be special and monumental in my surf career."
Riding giants: The legacy of big wave surfing
From the towering Nazaré waters to the distant swells of Cortes Bank, surfers continue to create new records. Athletes like Steudtner, Koxa, and Gabeira have etched their names in history. With technological advancements, it’s clear that this extreme sport’s boundaries will only continue to be pushed.
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