When it comes to daredevil sports, there are few that rival surfing, especially when you consider the extreme risks that pro-surfers take in order to score the highest, most impressive waves possible. But just where can you find the most epic waves in the world, I hear you ask? Have no fear, we’ve got you covered with our list of the most sizeable to date…
1. Nazare, Portugal – 100-ft.
I’m not sure it gets any more impressive than this record, set by Brazilian surfer, Pedro ‘Scooby’ Vianna, in June 2017. Unsurprisingly there were those who thought it must have been a hoax but when the epic pictures emerged the whole world was left in awe.
Image source: dailymail.co.uk
2. Nazare, Portugal – 78-ft.
Before the most recent smashing of the world record by Scooby Vianna, it was held at the same daunting location in Portugal, but this time by American surfer Garrett McNamara back in 2011, with a much lower (but still very impressive) height of 78 foot.
Image source: squarespace.com
3. Cortes Bank, California, USA – 77-ft.
Following on with a marginal 1-ft less, is Mark Parsons, who conquered a spectacular 77-foot swell on California’s world-famous Cortes Bank, all the way back in 2008.
Image source: pinimg.com
4. ‘Jaws’, Maui, Hawaii – 70-ft.
The name says it all really doesn’t it? But having the courage to surf these epic waters in Hawaii paid off big time for professional surfer Pate Cabrinha back in 2004 when he conquered a gargantuan 70-foot monster-wave.
Image source: cabrinha.com
5. Maverick’s, California, USA – 68-ft.
68 feet seems like the magic number when it comes to surfing, seeing as 3 pros share the joint title in terms of size. The first of which is Carlos Burle who captured his epic ride back in 2001 at Maverick’s beach on the West Coast of America.
Image source: globo.com
6. ‘Jaws’ again – 68-ft.
The second 68-footer was mastered by Dan Moore in 2004, at the infamous ‘Jaws’ beach in Hawaii. We’re still not overly sure we’d want to get in the water with a nickname like that though.
Image source: squarespace.com
7. Todos Santos, Mexico – 68-ft.
A year later in 2005, Brad Gerlach followed suit and smashed a 68-foot ride on the world-renowned Todos Santos beach in Mexico.
Image source: surfline.com
8. Pipeline, Oahu, Hawaii.
Pipeline (otherwise known as ‘Pipe) in Hawaii certainly deserves a mention here seeing as it is still one of the most dangerous and sought after places to ride waves, offering three progressively deeper reef breaks for daredevil surfers to choose from.
Image source: surfer.com
9. Teahupo’o, Tahiti, French Polynesia.
Teahupo’o (also lovingly referred to as ‘Chopes’) also has a very relevant place on this list, not for being the tallest, but literally the heaviest. Therefore, if you want the greatest chance of having a lethal amount of sea water fall on top of you then this is the perfect place. Let us just think about that for a moment…
Image source: pinimg.com
10. Mullaghmore Head, Ireland.
Having produced a rather impressive 50-foot wave a few years ago, caught by British pro Andy Cotton, Mullaghmore Head is drawing more and more surfers every year to try and combat its marathon swells.
Image source: msw.ms
