Let’s be clear, everyone who starts surfing has done so with giant waves in mind. Not only does the surfing community search for their perfect giant wave, but when an event is held about this colossal phenomenon, the media coverage is magnified. Surfing a giant wave is a feat that affects both great surfers and the most curious. We’ve already reviewed several videos of giant waves, we’ve talked about the best beaches in the world for surfing, but below, we’ll review the three most famous giant waves in the world, in our opinion.
La Vaca XXL
At our surf school, we’re proud to talk about La Vaca XXL, because it takes place in our homeland, Cantabria. We’ve already written several articles discussing the unique characteristics of this immense wave, produced by the quality of the seabed in this unique area. Those who have surfed this giant wave agree that the tension of the moment, the silence, and the surfer’s connection with the sea make the sensation experienced both in the tube and from the shore breathtaking.
The wave occurs in a unique setting, surrounded by green meadows and large cliffs that create a fairytale landscape. The latest edition of the event, La Vaca Gigante by Oakley, took place last February, where more than 30 invited riders attempted to conquer waves up to 8 meters high, making it one of the most important giant wave competitions in Europe.
Ultimately, giant wave surfing in Spain is epitomized by waves like La Vaca. A constantly growing competition that fills the region’s coasts with adrenaline junkies.
Mavericks
In the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of San Francisco, California, lies one of the world’s most spectacular giant waves, Mavericks. It can be surfed from October to March and has garnered significant media attention thanks to films like “Chasing Mavericks” and “Zoolander.”
This giant wave can reach almost 20 meters, and its force is so brutal that it’s even measured on the Richter scale. Mavericks begins to break at 3-4 meters, but occasionally forms 10-12 meters. Because of this, it is the standard-bearer of giant wave surfing in the US.
As an anecdote, it’s worth noting that for more than 10 years, Mavericks was surfed solely by Jeff Clark, pioneer and founder of the Mavericks Surf Contest, a competition centered around this marine titan. Told in such an epic tone, it sounds hyperbolic, and perhaps one empathizes with those who have surfed it, but its complexity and power are such that surfers like Mark Foo and Sion Milosky have died trying to ride this monster of nature. This further enhances the legend of this giant wave.
Nazaré and the Guinness record
Finally, we leave this review of giant waves with Nazaré, the area holding the Guinness record for the tallest giant wave ever surfed to date. As we saw in our article “Guinness World Records at the Nazaré Wave,” there is much controversy over who has surfed the tallest wave in the world, as only Guinness certifies this record, despite videos of surfers riding large waves. However, the latest record marks recorded coincide with this location, Nazaré, located on the coast of Portugal.
They call it the quintessential monster of giant waves. This wave reaches 30 meters in height because it forms in a sea canyon more than 4,300 meters deep.
Below, we’ll briefly review the records that have been set at this giant wave. In 2011, Garrett McNamara made history by setting the record for the tallest wave ever surfed in this Atlantic Ocean enclave. A wave measuring 23.7 meters from trough to crest. Recently, the Irish production company verified that Hawaiian McNamara’s record had been broken by Brazilian rider Rodrigo Koxa, who reached a height of 24.38 meters in 2018.
Many big-wave surfers claim to have surpassed this figure, but the truth is that the Guinness Book of World Records producer has been unable to verify their feats. The latest attempt to surpass this already stratospheric figure was by Hugo Vau, a 36-year-old Portuguese rider. Vau’s feat, recorded throughout by cameras, indicated a height of 35 meters, but given the complexity of the technical measurement of waves, the record for the Azores surfer could not be verified.
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