'The Wave of My Life:' Female Surfer Makes History

An Australian named Laura Enever now holds the mark to beat for other female surfers—43.6 feet. The Guinness Book of Records has certified Enever with paddling into the largest-ever wave by a woman, reports Surfer.com. The 31-year-old conquered the wave back in January in Oahu, Hawaii, but certification didn't come until this week, per the BBC. "I knew it was big when I paddled into it and then when I took off I looked down and I knew it was definitely the biggest wave I've ever caught," she said. "I knew it was the wave of my life."

Video captured the feat, and Guinness used the footage to help verify the wave's height. The BBC notes a surfing-world distinction: The record is specifically for a wave that a surfer paddles into on their own power, as opposed to getting towed into position by a jet-ski. Aaron Gold of Hawaii has the men's paddle-in record for a 62.9-foot wave he surfed in 2016, per the Guardian. (More surfing stories.)