NAZARÉ

At the Dawn of Modern Big Wave Surfing

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Before Nazaré became synonymous with the biggest waves on Earth, it was simply an unusual stretch of Portuguese coastline with a fearsome reputation among local fishermen. In 2010, a small group of surfers began exploring what the submarine canyon was capable of producing. I was fortunate to be one of them.

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Today it is recognised around the world for producing the biggest waves ever ridden. But when I first travelled there, it was still an experiment. No one knew how big it could become, how the waves behaved, or whether they could be surfed consistently and safely.

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A Journey That Began in Ireland

Portugal had been part of my life since childhood. My parents travelled there several times a year, and I knew the coastline well. I had seen photographs of Nazaré, but I never imagined it would become one of the defining locations in big wave surfing.

In late 2010, after I had been surfing a huge swell at an offshore reef in Ireland, Hawaiian big wave surfer Garrett McNamara invited me to go down to join him in Portugal where he was trying to unlock the potential of an unfamiliar wave at Nazaré.

Once the Irish swell had passed, I travelled south to catch the swell as it arrived in Portugal.

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Exploring the Potential

Together with an English surfer, we began venturing into huge waves at Praia do Norte.

This wasn't simply another big wave.

It was a giant beach break created by a 2,000-metre-deep submarine canyon, producing waves comparable in size to Mullaghmore, Mavericks and Jaws, yet breaking only metres from towering cliffs.

The local fishing community had feared these waters for generations. The sea here had claimed many lives, and few people believed it could become a surf break.

Like every new expedition, there was no manual.

Everything was learned through observation, trial and error, and experience gained from years spent surfing powerful waves elsewhere.

Within minutes of our first session we were riding waves around 50 feet high, refining rescue techniques, operating jet skis in places they had never previously been used, and beginning to understand how this extraordinary wave behaved.

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Realising What Was Possible

One thing became immediately obvious.

The swell itself was relatively modest, yet the waves breaking at Nazaré were enormous.

It was clear that the submarine canyon was amplifying ocean energy in ways unlike anywhere I had previously experienced.

For the first time, I believed this place had the potential to produce the biggest rideable waves on Earth.

That possibility became our focus. We adapted our boards, vests and skis to handle the ferocious conditions we were discovering. The land based team of local Portuguese city officials and surfers brought everything together to facilitate us attempting to ride huge swells at Nazaré.

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The Day Surfing History Changed

Over the following year we returned repeatedly, gradually building knowledge and confidence.

Then, in November 2011, the forecasts suggested something unprecedented.

Garrett believed waves approaching 100 feet might finally arrive.

We travelled to Portugal and prepared for what we hoped would be a historic day.

After an initial warm-up session, the swell arrived.

We were all surfing waves in the region of sixty feet when three enormous peaks appeared on the horizon.

At that moment it was my turn to rotate onto the safety ski while Garrett took the tow rope.

He rode what became recognised as the biggest wave ever surfed.

It was also the first time that the world record for the largest wave ridden had moved from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic.

It marked a turning point in the history of big wave surfing. The era was documented in the film series the North Canyon Show.

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The Beginning of a New Era

I continued returning to Nazaré as the wave evolved.

Crowds began gathering on the cliffs.

Other surfers arrived.

Records were broken repeatedly by men and women across multiple disciplines.

The remote fishing town became the centre of big wave surfing.

Looking back, I feel privileged to have been part of those earliest pioneering seasons, when everything was uncertain and every session revealed something new about one of the most extraordinary waves on Earth.

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Lessons from the Early Years

Nazaré reinforced something I had already learned through years of exploring remote coastlines and powerful waves.

The greatest discoveries rarely happen where everything is already understood.

They happen where curiosity meets uncertainty.

The pioneering years at Nazaré weren't simply about riding bigger waves.

They were about learning, adapting and helping unlock a place that has since changed the history of surfing.

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Further Reading

The story of those pioneering years at Nazaré is explored in greater depth in my audiobooks:

• 100 Foot Nazaré – The Biggest Wave Ever Surfed

• The Dawn of Big Wave Surfing at Nazaré, Portugal (2010)