It was very big in Europe on Monday. In fact it’s absolutely amazing that no one over has labeled it Big Monday. Fools. I went and had a look at the surf at Anglet near Biarritz on Monday morning. The day before had seen four-foot zippers breaking over a little low tide bank. The next day was a seething mass of massive lumbering close-outs breaking about 500 metres out to sea. The local buoy was recording a maximum wave height of 32 feet. The swell forecast read 15 feet at 19 seconds. I went home to ready myself for a true big-wave session. In front of the webcam. Nazare (maximum wave height of 35ft at Leixões buoy off Northern Portugal at 23:40 on Sunday 27th) was being live streamed by the local government, something that seems to make Fred Pawle’s blood boil, but for me was the best use of taxpayer’s money since I spent three months on the dole at Red Bluff back in 2000.
Down in Nazare things were getting hectic. The clip shows you the madness of the day.
Nazaré Blow Up from SURFPortugal Mag on Vimeo.
These are waves that have never been seen before. There was no question of whether these were the biggest waves ever ridden, you knew as soon as you saw them. There was of course the drama of Maya Gabeira almost drowning, and being saved by Carlos Burle. This is the wave where she took a wipeout, the force of the fall breaking her shin.
And this is the rather disturbing footage of Carlos saving her life;
Now for most people who have just pulled their best friend and tow partner from a 15 foot shorebreak when she was face down, unconscious, then brought her back to life with CPR, you might want to call it a day. Not Carlos, he simply went back out and CAUGHT THE BIGGEST WAVE IN THE HISTORY OF THE SPORT! Carlos Burle, a man of integrity, modesty and valor, you are a fucking legend.
Speaking of legends, young French surfer Justine Dupont was making a name for herself at Belharra, only 10 miles from where I sat in my webcam room. She actually went surfing, fell on her first wave and then rode this one picture below. Some may call it fat, but if you fall here and this mountain of water falls on you, fat aint the problem. Oxygen is. “I was confident, and I was ready,” Dupont told me afterwards, as my balls shriveled from the size of a proton to an electron.
Elsewhere Mundaka was only 12 feet and barreling on the outside section. Here local Eneko Acero threads one of the bigger ones.
Mundaka & Eneko 28_10_2013 a Surfing video by Mitxel Produkzioak
This looks positively tame though compared to further west along the coast in the region of Galicia. Portuguese madman Antonio de Silva was the only one stupid and brave enough to tackle this slab and just lived to tell the tale. The pics and clip were posted on the karpenorthcoast.blogspot.com.es/
Yes what a day, I was exhausted. Today the swell dropped to a measly 10 foot so I didn’t even bother to check the computer. This week is due to hover around 8 feet before another weekend swell which is forecast to hit Mullaghmore Ireland at 27ft at 15 seconds and 15ft at 12 seconds in Hossegor. I better wax up that webcam.
