In March, when Vinicius dos Santos announced that he had surfed a 29.68 meter wave in Nazaré, Portugal, rumors of a new world record began. The biggest brand recognized by the WSL (World Surf League or World Surfing League) and by Guinness Records is that of Rodrigo Koxa, from 2017, for having surfed a wave of 24.38 meters. But, in the conversations of big riders and experts, it is said that Koxa’s brand has long been outdated.
That’s because there are two parallel worlds when it comes to giant wave measurements. On the one hand, there are independent scientists, who are called upon by surfers to measure their surfed giant waves. On the other hand, there is the opaque universe of official records, which result from WSL contests and are then recognized by Guinness. To win the title of surfer of the biggest wave in the world, the athlete must submit his image on the giant wave to the annual WSL awards.
While scientists use a methodology of photographic analysis that has already been tested and proven in the academic environment, the official bodies of the sport are not very transparent about their method of measurement and recognition of global brands. In this scenario, the big riders have made independent disclosures of their achievements to the press, which ends up generating indirect pressure on the topic in the world league.
The most important big riders in the world –such as Maya Gabeira, Carlos Burle, Pedro Scooby, Vini dos Santos and Lucas Chumbo– opt for the independent scientific measurements of Douglas Nemes, an oceanographer who specializes in discovering the size of giants. The scientist holds a PhD in ocean engineering and a post-doctorate in coastal engineering from UFRJ.
“Every big wave surfer is a cyclone hunter”, defines Nemes, when showing a website called Windy, widely used by athletes in the extreme modality. On this platform, it is possible to see the formation of cyclones across the oceans and to know the height of the waves they form in the seas. It is also possible to see a time progression that shows these waves formed in the middle of the sea reaching the coastal regions.
This monitoring is part of the routine of oceanographers and big riders. For those who live in Nazaré, an iconic place for giant waves, the most observed cyclone region is between Greenland and Iceland. The cyclones that rise there, in the north of the globe, are responsible for the Portuguese giant waves, in addition to the geography of the seabed of Nazaré.
On the site, 80 km/h cyclones can be observed, generating waves of eight meters in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. “The three main parameters of a cyclone are: the wind speed, the duration and the surface on which it passes. It is the cyclones that generate the bigger and bigger waves”, explains the scientist.
In addition to the phenomenon of winds, the seabed of Nazaré helps to form the giants. “The continental shelf of Nazaré is very close to the beach, that is, the ocean floor is very close to the beach. So, the wave does not lose energy from the ocean until it breaks. Waves that form in the ocean, with eight to ten meters, can double in size when they arrive in Nazaré”, says Nemes.
What is a giant wave?
According to the expert, there is no exact definition, in science or in surfing, to define what a giant wave is. The academy researches and classifies different types of waves, but has not created a metric labeling that can be linked to the sport. The issue of wave size is a nebulous topic in surfers’ grammar: “half a metro” and “a metro” are frequently said expressions.
“Wave size is a subjective concept: bathers and surfers feel differently, for example. If it is two to three meters, it can be considered that the wave is big. For surfers, this definition is more linked to the material used. in surfing. If you need a bigger board, more than three meters long to surf the waves – called gunzeira – then it really is a big, giant wave surfing”, says Nemes, in a double vision, as a surfer. and scientist.
big rider view
Vinicius dos Santos, a surfer from Santa Catarina who can be considered the athlete to have surfed the biggest wave in the world, has his own definition. “I consider giant waves to be the biggest 20 meters”, he says. Vini says that he has seen himself as a big wave surfer since he was a child, when he surfed in Imbituba, in southern Brazil, near his hometown of Florianópolis.
“When I was 12 years old, I was already using my father’s board, suitable for bigger waves, and was pulled by a current that exists in the region. For me, proportionally, this is equivalent to the boats I use today, on the giants, because I was I had a different atmosphere from other surfers, I had access to big waves with my father, uncles and cousins, always wanting to catch bigger and bigger waves”, he remembers.
Today, at 32, Vini says he started to consider himself a big rider after a season surfing in Mexico and Hawaii a few years ago. After excelling in paddling, today the athlete is dedicated to tow-in, a modality in which the surfer is pulled by a jet-ski to the giant wave. “I only surfed a truly giant wave this year, when my sponsor bought a jet-ski for my winter season in Nazaré”, explains the athlete, now supported by PharmaCanna Brasil.
WSL recognition
When questioned, the WSL responded about the process of recognizing the biggest wave surfed in the world. According to the league, the athlete is required to sign up for their giant wave contest. “On Friday, April 1st, the World Surf League began accepting entries for the 2022 Red Bull Big Wave Awards,” the statement reads.
The waves must have been surfed between April 1, 2021 and March 31, 2022. The award is separated between the women’s and men’s categories for Ride of the Year (Descent of the Year), Biggest Wave Paddle-In (biggest wave paddling) and Biggest Wave Tow-In (biggest wave surfed with the help of a jet-ski).
In these last two categories, athletes must also send a photo, not just a video, to compete. According to the WSL, following the 2022 Red Bull Big Wave Awards, the entity will measure the waves of the women’s and men’s winners to award the biggest paddling wave and biggest tow-in wave awards, which will be announced “later in the year”.
The role of Guinness Records, if the breaking of the world record is recognized, comes after the work of the WSL. “As the WSL is the official verifier of Guinness World Records, it will coordinate with Guinness to determine whether there is a new world record,” the league says.
Regarding its giant wave measurement procedure, the WSL only states that “the data will be reviewed by a scientific team as a critical reference point for the determination of world records”, without giving further details.
I have worked in the news industry for over 10 years. I have a vast amount of experience in covering health news. I am also an author at News Bulletin 247. I am highly experienced and knowledgeable in this field. I am a hard worker and always deliver quality work. I am a reliable source of information and always provide accurate information.
