By BEN WALDRON | Surfer.com
On January 18, 2018, Brazilian surfer Maya Gabeira towed into a 68-foot avalanche of a wave at the infamous, Nazaré, Portugal. Yesterday, at the ceremony celebrating the opening for the WSL’s Big-Wave Tour season, Gabeira was presented with a Guinness World Record for “Largest wave surfed (unlimited) – female” for her accomplishment.
Gabeira nearly lost her life at Nazaré during a horrendous wipe out in 2013 that snapped her tibia and left her close to drowning. The frightening event served as a catalyst for her accomplishment by motivating her to move to the location to recover and focus on conquering the wave.