The Guinness Book of World Records has acknowledged a new world record for the largest wave ever surfed. The agency this week says it carefully confirmed that 44-year-old Hawaii pro surfer Garrett McNamara set a record in November 2011 when he rode a 78-foot tall wave off the coast of Portugal.
Amazingly McNamara says he almost didn’t attempt the record because he had wiped out earlier in the day on even bigger waves.
Because of an undersea canyon Portugal is known for having some of the biggest wave-generators on the plabet.
Speaking to ESPN Garrett revealed:
“I was really beat-up that morning. This day, I did not want to get out of bed.”
It wasn’t until a few friends urged him to go for the record that McNamara decided to give it another try.
The waves are so big in the area that the surfer had to be pulled out into the swell.
While he finally managed to catch the wave he wasn’t going to submit it for recognition under the people of Nazare, Portugal encouraged him, claiming the wave could be 85 to 90 feet tall.
In the meantime the big wave surfer won $15,000 last week in California for his Billabong XXL Global Big Wave ride.
What perhaps makes McNamara’s big wave ride so impressive is the fact that not many surfers live in areas or have the ability to travel to areas where waves are so massive.
Perhaps his next world record will be to finally catch and ride an elusive 100 foot wave.
