It’s Official: This Surfer Caught the Largest Wave Ever Ridden
- Posted on May 12, 2012 at 3:49pm by
Madeleine Morgenstern
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(Photo: GarrettMcNamara.com)
Garret McNamara could only assume the 78-foot wall of water he surfed last year was a world record. This week, officials from the Guinness Book of World Records confirmed it.
The 44-year-old’s wild November ride off the shore of Nazare, Portugal beat out the previous world record, set in Southern California in 2008, by more than a foot. A panel of experts examined and measured photographs and video images of the wave to verify it, the U.K. Telegraph reported.
McNamara, a Hawaiian native, recalled that it was difficult to control his surfboard as he rode toward some rocks.
“If you fall, there’s not much chance of survival,” he said.
He said he hadn’t even planned to go surfing that day until is friends convinced him.
“They talked me into getting on my board,” McNamara said. “When I got on the board and they pulled me up with tow rope everything just felt right, it was like magic.”
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Comments (65)
moderateliberal
Posted on May 13, 2012 at 4:39pmI wish Glenn beck would try that. I’d love to watch him get crushed by a giant wave.
Report Post »kindling
Posted on May 13, 2012 at 5:25pmI feel sorry for you because of the world you choose to live in. It is not reality and it must be lonely. Don’t you get tired of all the hate?
Report Post »CHICAGOTHUGBUCKET
Posted on May 14, 2012 at 12:45amModerateLiberal=Usefulidiot, the hate for truth is only a symptom and the ability to wish wave crushing or baby scrambling is a trademark of your ilk. History will call you what you are “The cruelest seething bunch of subhumans yet to be recorded”. Go get another abortion you pseudo-sophist educated honey!
Report Post »tetonjumper
Posted on May 14, 2012 at 6:27amOnly in the liberal world can the term moderate be attached to wishing death upon another person. I believe the next “crushing moment” will be seen in November when BHO goes down to defeat.
Report Post »Haze
Posted on May 14, 2012 at 1:59pmIt’s always the liberals that call for violence and then call us the hate mongers. LOL typical lib
Report Post »PaintItWhite
Posted on May 13, 2012 at 4:09pmI remember when this footage first came out …. Absolutely insane! Waves that big move at about 40 mph already, now place yourself ripping down the face of it … He’s easily doin like 60+ …. No wonder he could barely hold on!
Report Post »kindling
Posted on May 13, 2012 at 5:23pmAnd he lived to tell the story…..great ride!
Report Post »disenlightened
Posted on May 13, 2012 at 1:46pmSomeone please tell me how they measure these things. I’m not buying it. There’s no way you come close to precisely measuring waves like this.
Report Post »kindling
Posted on May 13, 2012 at 5:26pmYou know how tall the surfer is right?
Report Post »4blackhorses
Posted on May 13, 2012 at 5:54pmEXACTLY!! How do you measure the height? While The Blaze set it at 78 feet, two following videos placed the wave at 90 feet and 100 feet respectively. WTH?
Report Post »Gumbercules
Posted on May 14, 2012 at 12:12amDon’t worry, it was photoshopped.
Report Post »disenlightened
Posted on May 14, 2012 at 8:28amKINDLING – I know that, but how do you determine the exact bottom of the wave? That has to be a subjective decision that makes it impossible to say with any certainty that it’s the biggest wave ever ridden. Like 4BLACKHORSES points out, different sources give it a different height.
Report Post »americangirl060221
Posted on May 13, 2012 at 11:25amJust plain crazy….
Report Post »truelife
Posted on May 13, 2012 at 7:01amIf you enjoyed this video, you should search for some footage of LAIRD HAMILTON, mr. big wave surfer himself…. some of the videos are just amazing!
Report Post »NOCLUE
Posted on May 12, 2012 at 11:35pmIt is a wonder obummer isn’t out there taking 20 feet off that wave and giving it to the smaller ones so that they can have a fair chance to be surfed.
Report Post »jespasinthru
Posted on May 12, 2012 at 10:41pmI don’t care what the haters say about that surfer. That was the sweetest mind candy I’ve seen in a long time. And I live two miles from the beach. I’m gonna watch it again.
Report Post »yanki161
Posted on May 12, 2012 at 9:30pmCatch a wave and you’re sitting on top of the world.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLgWbH-qhVo&feature=related
Report Post »MetalPatriot
Posted on May 13, 2012 at 11:17amAbsolutely beautiful
Report Post »Avi8or
Posted on May 12, 2012 at 9:07pmMy wetsuit would have gotten a little warmer while riding that thing.
Report Post »supressorgrid
Posted on May 12, 2012 at 8:43pmI caught a 70 Meg wave file last night while web surfing, it was gnarley.
Report Post »Car54
Posted on May 12, 2012 at 11:18pmlol, good one, “dude”. :-)
Report Post »mrsmileyface
Posted on May 12, 2012 at 8:29pmNext on Garrets list is to catch a fish “THIS BIG”.
Report Post »just slap me
Posted on May 12, 2012 at 8:16pmDUDE……wow.
Report Post »If God came down today and said to me, “You have to chose ONE thing to every day for the rest of your life one earth”, I’d pick riding waves. Surfboard, jet ski, skimboard, etc. Just to ride waves every since day would be….paradise.
insight
Posted on May 12, 2012 at 10:13pmAmen
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on May 13, 2012 at 3:01am@just slap me
Are you sure your name isn’t Dana Miller? DUDE!
Report Post »ForLimitedGov
Posted on May 12, 2012 at 7:26pmI thought Obama was going to calm the seas. Oh wait a minute that’s wrong. He was going to lower the seas.
Report Post »txjb
Posted on May 12, 2012 at 7:22pmNow for the Bowling scores !
Report Post »uptickusa
Posted on May 12, 2012 at 6:22pmRide a wave-Leap a frog WHY?
Report Post »bjornskis
Posted on May 12, 2012 at 6:09pmbig difference being towed to catch a wave and paddling into a wave
not to take anything away from him doing that it’s just not the same and should not be a record
Report Post »blaaaaackwoman
Posted on May 12, 2012 at 7:39pmYes there is a BIG difference, weakling;
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2640/3795257805_8f25740c85.jpg
Report Post »HappyPython
Posted on May 12, 2012 at 9:33pm…and if you’ve paddled into any double overhead + waves you know the bigger they get, the faster they move and there comes a point where they are impossible to paddle into without getting caught in and worked! Getting towed in made riding waves like Peahi (Jaws), Teahupo, Mavericks, and any other wave well over 30 feet even possible. When the wave itself is moving at 35 or 40 MPH the only way onto it is getting towed in…and more importantly the only way out if you get caught in is by the same jetski.
Report Post »SERUM
Posted on May 12, 2012 at 5:27pmPeople who really can’t understand the power and thrill of the waves are usually the victims of the “shore pounders”, which are very entertaining to the locals. God bless the ignorant.
Report Post »qpwillie
Posted on May 12, 2012 at 5:54pmI understand the power of the wind but if I see a tornado coming I won’t be trying to ride it. I always tend to avoid things that are apt to kill me.
Report Post »jespasinthru
Posted on May 12, 2012 at 10:46pm“Mama always told me not to look into the eyes of the Sun. But mama, that’s where the fun is!”
Report Post »jespasinthru
Posted on May 12, 2012 at 11:05pmBy the way, I think that quote is from a Bruce Springsteen song. But I’m not quite sure.
Report Post »Deborah
Posted on May 13, 2012 at 12:22amThose lyrics, JesPas, are by Manfred Mann.
Report Post »mccracken
Posted on May 13, 2012 at 7:46amThe lyrics are by Bruce Springsteen. “Blinded by the Light.”
Report Post »blackyb
Posted on May 12, 2012 at 5:14pmWowzers.
Report Post »macpappy
Posted on May 12, 2012 at 5:01pmGreat, now can we get the latest Polo scores?
Report Post »Politijack
Posted on May 12, 2012 at 4:56pmMost Gnarly Dude!
Report Post »Pontiac
Posted on May 12, 2012 at 4:51pmSurfing…participant or spectator…I don’t see the appeal what so ever.
Report Post »Mutiny
Posted on May 12, 2012 at 5:10pmTo each his own.
Report Post »JoeBtfsplk
Posted on May 12, 2012 at 6:02pmBeen surfing all my life. Don‘t knock it unless you’ve tried it.
Report Post »The one thing above all others is pure unadulterated ‘FUN’ !
Not to mention it keeps you in ‘tip-top’ shape.
Pontiac
Posted on May 12, 2012 at 8:46pmSunburns, Wrinkles, Melanoma, Sharks, Jelly fish, Drowning, Getting wet… I’m sure I can think of other things for fun and exercise.
Report Post »insight
Posted on May 12, 2012 at 10:11pm@JoeBtfsplk “Not to mention it keeps you in ‘tip-top’ shape.”
When I see the guys 55+ that I surf with and then look at the guys them same age surf fishing that are 100lbs heavier and look 10 yrs older I realize surfing is the way to go. The people who dont understand surfing just dont get how you can do a sport with out scores and rules. We really know where its at Joe.
Report Post »teresa2010
Posted on May 12, 2012 at 10:26pm@Pontiac…..I agree
Report Post »JoeBtfsplk
Posted on May 13, 2012 at 2:15pmDealt with all of those. Still here.
Report Post »Nothing else compares!
momrules
Posted on May 12, 2012 at 4:45pmJust look at that wave! The ocean’s power is awesome.
It takes a lot of courage or a whole lot of dumb to do what McNamara and folks like him do but either way I am impressed.
Report Post »Watchyer6
Posted on May 12, 2012 at 4:05pmThat guy has some stones.
Report Post »Teufel Hunden
Posted on May 12, 2012 at 4:00pmMcNamara, that names about as Hawaiian as Obama. Anyway…. nice job!
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on May 12, 2012 at 3:56pmGreat Skill… WTF do you do with it?
Report Post »RaiderforFreedom
Posted on May 12, 2012 at 4:14pmA little jealous are we Luker?
Report Post »CatB
Posted on May 12, 2012 at 4:49pmDude .. he’s doing it.
Report Post »wolverine
Posted on May 12, 2012 at 4:57pmLike mountain climbers because he can
Report Post »blackyb
Posted on May 12, 2012 at 5:16pmRide the waves, dude. That is what you do with it. Ride them because they are there when you can find the good ones.
Report Post »Abraham Young
Posted on May 12, 2012 at 6:14pmit’s one of those activities that makes it easier to do one of those activities.
Report Post »insight
Posted on May 12, 2012 at 10:12pmenjoy the hell out of life.
Report Post »The_Eye
Posted on May 13, 2012 at 11:26pmOther than ride the hundreds of thousands of dollars in contest, sponsorship and photo/video payments all the way to the bank? gee I don’t know. /Sarc
It‘s amazing how many people don’t realize how much money there is in surfing or skateboarding. That ‘punk kid’ you see flipping around the street could very well be earning 4 times your salary.
Report Post »jagape
Posted on May 14, 2012 at 2:09pmWell he’ll have a board named after him, clothes and wet suit…then enjoy all the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
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