Surfer Breaks Record for Biggest-Ever Wave

Brazil's Rodrigo Koxa mastered 80-foot wave
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 30, 2018 4:33 AM CDT

A Brazilian surfer has claimed the "Biggest Wave" award—and a place in the record books—for mastering a monster wave big enough to wash away Godzilla. Officials at the World Surf League determined that Rodrigo Koxa set a new record last November for the biggest wave ever surfed when he rode an 80-foot wave off Nazare, Portugal, the BBC reports. American Garret McNamara set the previous record for biggest confirmed wave after riding a 78-foot wave at the same break in 2011. At Saturday's awards in Santa Monica, Calif., Brazil's Lucas Chianca won the men's best overall performance award, while Hawaii's Paige Alms took the women's title. Britain's Andrew Cotton won "Wipeout of the Year" for a fall at Nazare in November, but he hadn't healed enough to attend the ceremony, Reuters reports. (More surfing stories.)

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