Largest wave ever surfed

What to remember

Off Praia do Norte in Nazaré, Portugal, German surfer Sebastian Steudtner rode an 86-foot wave, 26.2 m, in October 2020, breaking the record for the largest wave surfed.

Big wave surfing is a discipline of its own, covering waves at least 20 feet (6.2 m) high, ridden on boards known as "guns" or towboards. Board size depends on the wave and on the technique used to reach it: a longer board lets a rider paddle fast enough to catch the wave and is more stable, but it gives up manoeuvrability and surfing speed.

In 1992, Buzzy Kerbox, Laird Hamilton and Darrick Doerner introduced tow-in surfing, in which a jet ski pulls the surfer into a big wave to build the speed needed to ride it. Paddling in and towing in remain distinct activities, even though many riders take part in both.