Beachgoers Awed at Gargantuan Wave, Then Daredevil Carves Into Frame
This is epic.
Thanks to an incredibly deep natural canyon on the ocean floor, one twice as deep as the Grand Canyon, the waves that are formed off of the shore of Nazare, Portugal develop into walls of water that are terrifyingly high.
However, their gargantuan height and breadth don’t stop surfers, some of whom have made it their personal goal to catch and ride the world’s biggest waves.
Check out the moves of 32-year-old Sebastian Steudtner, who surfed a massive wave at Nazare on Jan. 18 of this year:
That’s incredible!
Steudtner posted about his amazing ride on his Instagram account as well:
Conveniently enough, Nazare is perfectly situated for both surfers and fans alike. Not only do the natural features of the ocean floor generate the stupefying waves, but, according to Forbes.com, the town is located near the perfect spot for spectators — a high, sheer cliff face, called the Sitio, right next to the ocean.
“The elevation and sheer face of the Sitio conspire to make it the perfect viewing platform from which to watch the surf from above, where the waves feel so close you can almost feel the spray on your face,” Forbes reported.
As for the man trying to tame the wild waves, Steudtner was born in Nuremberg, Germany and did not try surfing until a vacation to France at age nine. He was immediately hooked on the sport, and has been catching waves all around the world ever since.
According to Sunova Surfboards, “In 2010, at only 24 years old, he surfed the year’s biggest wave at Pe’ahi, Maui (Jaws), making him the first European ever to win the XXL Biggest Wave Award.”
Steudtner repeated his feat in 2014 at Nazare.
There’s no word yet on whether the 2018 ride featured in the video qualifies Steudtner for another win, but according to Surfer Magazine it was a historic day in terms of the size of the waves and the risky feats required to conquer them.
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