Major XXL.
History was maybe made, hours ago, when Germany’s Sebastian Steudtner rode a Nazare beast being touted as “the biggest wave ever ridden.” Porsche, who sponsors the fine looking Hessian, claims it used drones to measure the water tower at 93.73 feet.
The number, of course, must be verified by the World Surf League which certainly has superior computers etc.
“I am very grateful to Porsche for the cooperative partnership over the past three years,” Steudtner said after the ride. “True to ‘Driven by Dreams’ and with Porsche as a partner I have been able to fulfill my dream of contributing to the further development of my sport.”
The lantern-jaw’d blonde utilized a special board made by Porsche that was capable of going 100 kph.
Very cool.
Now, those who have toiled under the heavy yolk of the surf industry for decades might recall when Steudtner won Biggest Wave, or something, at the XXL Big Wave Awards back in 2010. The still-fresh faced Taylor Paul covered for Surfing Magazine and shared:
The presentation of the awards is a mess, though. When Rory Russell announces the Monster Tube Award, the nominees for Best Performance by a Female come onscreen. Christian Fletcher introduces Sebastian Steudtner in the Biggest Wave category by saying, “And the winner is…the German who doesn’t paddle.” And when the German reaches the stage to accept the award, Fletcher mutters something about Hitler. They spend way too much time going through interviews about the biggest wave, when it’s clear that it is the dullest category (that a windsurfer won the award will reinforce to the surfing world that towing is not a game of skill). It takes a while for Occy to present his award because he is crooning, “We don’t neeeeeeeeeeeeeed…no more trouble.”
I was there too, I think, at the Anaheim Grove though it’s all very blurry except for that Fletcher bit and also Bill Sharp’s hair.
Who, in any case, do you think history will recall most favorably, Fletcher or Steudtner? Something to ponder until Margaret River opens its dumb in five-ish hours.