100 Foot Wave (2021) s01e06 Episode Script
More Than Just a Wipeout
Good morning and
welcome to Nazaré in Portugal.
The World's Surf League's
Big Wave Tour
now brings its focus
to the shores of Western Europe.
Where's the limit?
We're gonna find out.
The World's Surf League runs surfing
competitions all around the world.
And most of those events are held in
waves that will be from 2 to 6 feet.
The offshoot of it is
the Big Wave Tour,
where the waves need to be at least
35 feet on the face
and preferably bigger.
A humongous wave.
Pulling into a big barrel.
Nazaré has been an incredible resource
for running Big Waves.
That's because there are
so many big waves.
We've put on three editions
of the Nazaré challenge
as a paddle event
and it was radical.
I remember going there
for the Nazaré challenge,
paddle and surfing competition.
And I remember seeing
these giant waves and going,
how did I get myself into this mess?
The night before the competition
I was laying in my bed going,
I really hope I don't die tomorrow.
The reality of it is
we had too many days where the waves
were just too big to paddle.
Oh no! Over the handlebars
so to speak. And take a wipeout.
Oh my gosh!
Getting bsolutely steam rolled.
World champions were just terrified of
it and were just getting destroyed.
After that we decided maybe tow surfing
is the right format for this spot
because it's never too big.
I ended up surviving the event
but I was like, I'm okay
without ever coming here.
Pretty much all my friends from Hawaii
were like,
we're not coming back here ever again.
And it's odd because
over the years it's completely changed
and now I long to go to a place
like Nazaré. I love Nazaré.
It's one of my favorite Big Waves
in the world because
it's such a challenge and I've just
decided to accept that challenge.
Check out these monster 100-foot waves
off Portugal.
The biggest wave ever surfed.
As high as 100 feet.
To put it in perspective, that is
taller than an 8-story building.
Surfers are always looking for
the next great thing.
It often breaks those
brave or crazy board riders.
Severe white routes and waves
of mind-boggling heights.
What happens here,
happens nowhere else in the world.
The biggest wave ever surfed.
The biggest wave ever.
100-foot wave.
100 FOOT WAVE.
CHAPTER VI
ICARUS
Nazaré Tow Surfing Challenge
February 11, 2020
The Nazaré Tow Surfing Challenge really
was the first event of its kind ever.
A performance oriented, purely
tow surfing competitive event.
At this arena
where thousands of people
were watching.
Welcome back to live action
from the Nazaré Tow Surf Challenge.
The prize out here today
is the best ride.
We are on the way to heat,
one hour long.
Our goal with the format for the
Nazaré Tow Surfing challenge was
to have as much action going on
as possible
without jet skis crashing
into each other
and too much going on
where you lose track of the surfers.
So we had a priority system that
had never been used before
where we had a big screen on the side
of the lighthouse
and a judge that would say hey,
once you caught a wave basically
you go to the end of the line.
Back is clear.
Here we go. Andrew Cotton,
from Great Britain, a big fade.
He did ride that wave really well,
he put himself in a great position.
And that is Lucas Chianca,
massive wedge of a peak.
Look at this scene, this is one of the
biggest waves we've seen.
Tom Butler that was.
That was a very, very tall one.
Kai Lenny got involved.
What you can expect from him,
he's gonna do stuff like that.
Complete spin, 360 degrees.
Lands with control and then
drops back in and loses control.
Oh and what a tumble.
Wow, that was crazy stuff.
There were thousands
and thousands of people.
That was pretty astonishing
just to see that amount of people.
I felt like a gladiator in Thunderdome.
We're over here to see Andrew surf
for the first time.
Andrew Cotton that is.
I've seen him scores of times on video
and TV
but never actually being here.
So it's amazing to see it.
We've got to manifest
one really good wave for Cotty
and one really good wave for Tom
in this next scene.
I'm gonna go up there to study so that
I can call the wave.
First speed, first speed.
Here we go, doubles.
Yes, here we go,
we've got Cotty on the inside.
That is a massive wave.
She has her wings out,
stabilizing herself.
She is next level.
I could see her winning actually.
Beating all the guys.
I would love that.
Justine Dupont, you just surfed your
half hour heat, how was it out there?
I was so lucky, I got a really nice
wave at the beginning of the heat,
so then we were pretty confident
and just having fun.
We surf those big waves every day.
The difference is that
it was broadcast live.
I loved being able to share that
with everyone.
Tell us about the conditions today.
Is this everything you'd hoped for
for the event to run?
Yeah it's really good.
There's not that much wind,
so we are not used to having
this condition, that perfect.
Right now I'd like to be in the water,
yeah.
Because it's so smooth.
This is the kind of day
that I live for.
- It looks like Maya Gabeira.
- This wave's got a wall on it.
This is the kind of wave you want
if you can get around that.
Now she's gonna deal with
some white water here.
The noise and the power that exploded
all around me.
I don't know how I would have reacted
on a free surf
but because I was competing I saw that
bomb and didn't even think about it.
I went all the way to the bottom and
then I saw that there was no way
that I was going to be able to turn
at that point. I just held on.
The explosion of white water
gets the better of Maya.
I got really lucky because
I just had enough that I was thrown
forward and not down.
And now we get to see Sebastian
and his ability to get in.
And there's the pickup for Maya,
all good.
I just got so close to something
so scary
that I must say that it took
a lot of my confidence away.
I was one athlete up until that point,
and then I became another athlete for
the other part of the competition.
Where I was like, I don't want
to play that close to fire, you know?
I want to surf well but this is not
worth my life.
Where are you guys?
We're still riding.
Spotting is really tough.
Really tough. I'm just trying to study
the waves so I could choose better.
It's so challenging
to pick the right wave.
I've got a lot of sympathy
for the spotters.
We're running on a big one.
Can you tell me where red is?
Where's red?
I know he found it more difficult
than what he envisioned
and I think that's probably because
he's used to being out in the sea.
When you're in the water
you're more focused on
just what's around you,
not every aspect of that.
Red's first priority now? Yeah?
You guys have priority.
Wait for the bottom.
There's a second bottom coming.
A second set is coming.
Tell Cotty I'll let you guys know
if it's a good right.
The rights are hollow and amazing.
If it's a good right,
tell him to go right.
You guys are a priority.
This next wave is really good.
I was surfing and Garrett's called
theway on the radio
and it was a left hander
and a right hander.
It was a perfect pick,
you could have gone any way.
We were down at like
5th priority at this point.
We saw the other team going and we had
to wait to see what they did first.
I was just looking left, I didn't see
what was going on behind me,
over my shoulder on the right.
When we figured out that they were
going left,
oh scoot me on the right.
Left, left, left, left.
That was fine?
I just had this wave
that just was
that wave that everyone draws
during their algebra class.
This perfect 70-foot barrel.
I'd have to say from the last wave
it looks like you had fun out there.
Yeah it's super fun and it's super sick
to just be here right now.
Both Lucas and I want to ride like an
80-footer if one eventually comes in.
Well are you ready to go? You seem to
be in the nominations so far,
to keep going with the rest of
the event.
FINAL HEA There's tons of waves. Don't worry.
There's tons of waves.
Can you hear Cotty on the radio
or can you hear me?
We can hear you when you talk but all
we hear is when you're not talking.
He knew that he was losing it
towards the end.
Left inside, go, go, go.
Way over, way over.
This next wave is the wave.
That's where you don't want to be.
Here and there, right and left.
It's like classic Garrett.
How much time?
Two minutes guys,
let's get you on the nugget.
There is a big set coming,
there is a big set coming.
Get on the rope, get on the rope.
This is the wave, this is
the magic wave. Go for this wave.
What?
Towards the end of that final heat
I was towing fronting into a wave
and then it kind of came across
the radio,
skis down, skis down.
We lost the ski, we lost the ski.
Alex and Hugo were on the inside,
they didn't have backup safety.
They were going back out
and there was this whitewater
and then a sideways wave.
And they flew over the sideways and
landed sideways.
Hit the ski really hard,
and I think Alex knocked out on impact.
And then both of them were in the water
and Hugo's there
trying to get back on the ski.
And they're still under water.
Not popping up.
Then everybody realized this piece of
foam that they saw floating
wasn't just a piece of foam
or a life jacket, it was Alex.
There he is, there he is.
During the event I was the safety
driver for any necessary situation.
Alemao Edilson Luis Da Assunçao,
WSL Nazaré Challenge Safety Driver
When I saw a person,
I identified Alex
and he was partially unconscious.
He was trying to fight for his life.
He was in shock.
I tried to grab him.
I couldn't at first.
Then a wave came and I escaped.
I came back, tried to talk to him.
"Alex come with me, come with me."
He wouldn't respond.
Then another wave came.
It's the second time that we ever see
a body floating out there.
The first time it was mine
and now was the second.
I swam to him. I tried to grab him
as tightly as possible.
So I wouldn't lose him during
the next wave.
Then we got hit with a big wave
right on the sand.
He rolled away and I did too.
I completely lost him.
He showed up a bit further away.
I remember I saw many lifeguards,
many friends and many jetski drivers,
everyone trying to look for him.
When Hugo Vau and Alex
had their accident,
I was with Scooby
and no one told us on the radio.
We just kept surfing.
We didn't hear it.
There's no real info. It's just
nobody knew what happened.
It was until
social media or something with the
video and then it was just, oh shit.
Extraordinary pictures that have come
in from Nazaré, Portugal,
Alex Botelho got wiped out
while on a jetski.
Botelho was unconscious when
lifeguards pulled him from the water.
He was unconscious for two minutes.
It was a moment of panic.
It looked like he broke his back there
and then boom, wave washes in
like the heaviest thing
and then he's just out. He's just out
and there's no skis and it's like
So you saw the whole thing?
And then I just ran down
and he started breathing again.
But yeah, heavy.
When Alex and Hugo get flipped
upside down with the jet ski,
you realize you are nothing
compared to this giant ocean.
Wow. It really took us back to reality.
We must do even better.
Be more strict with safety.
To me that is really
the most important thing.
It's hard. I surfed the contest really
expecting my body
if it eventually floated unconscious
to be grabbed and taken to the beach
very quickly.
And to see that that didn't go that way
with a friend of ours
it just
I don't know, it's scary.
A lot of preparation went into having
a safety plan.
But in the end, Alex Botelho was not
riding a wave,
he was getting a lift back out with
his partner and the jet ski crashed.
If you attended all of the safety
meetings,
that wasn't something that
everyone was looking for.
Luckily Alemao followed Hugo
or Alex wouldn't be here.
He was watching four other teams
at the same time.
But he made sure that he went in
and got out.
Alemao was the real hero.
I would never be the best in Nazaré.
No one will ever be.
No one's ready for Nazaré.
Not even the best ones and the best
prepared, like Hugo and Alex.
Everyone is subject to being
knocked out.
It's a ring without a gladiator.
Over there the winner is always
"Big Mama" Nature.
It definitely makes me think
he was lucky.
when you're out in the water
everything changes,
you're like a kid in the candy store.
Usually.
How was today, Cotty?
It was alright.
A couple of big waves.
But it was a bit of a weird one
ending like it did.
Hopefully I'm
You know, I
Got an interview for BBC news
with Tom.
I'm quite tired, I definitely don't
want to be doing interviews.
Public speaking's
one of my biggest fears.
And uh, now I do it for a job.
That's way worse than surfing
80-foot waves.
Andrew, Tom,
thank you very much for doing this.
Andrew, first of all tells us what
conditions have been like
for big wave surfing there
for the last couple of days.
Today the swells will peak probably at
like 60 feet maybe?
And it was a Nazaré tow challenge,
yeah it's been a great day.
And how are you getting on
in the competition?
We don't know. We surfed all day today.
We found out tonight at 7:00 there's
an awards ceremony at the Lighthouse.
I hate to remind you, Andrew, of what
happened there a few years ago.
You had a spectacular wipeout
that nearly ended your career.
How are things progressing
from then on?
The wipeout a couple of years ago,
it was traumatic but it was just
an injury. And, and
Whatever I do it's always about the
broken back,
it's all about the injury.
It's like shit I've surfed
so many good waves and they're like
All they want to talk about
is the injury.
Which is kind of sad isn't it?
No one really cares about the ones
you make,
they want to see about the ones
you don't. You know?
How many interviews have you
been asked about your wipeout?
It's just like oh my god.
See you later.
I'm so glad you guys are alright,
thank you for looking after Tom for me.
We did some good waves man.
You're looking for a shirt, right?
- You've got one in the camper there.
- I am there.
See you in a little bit.
Hi, mate.
Sorry I wasn't that good up there.
It's so hard.
Yeah, I know. You're fine. It was good,
it was good.
- It's hard though, isn't it?
- It's so gnarly.
It's hard, eh? Did anyone get any
what was the
Your last wave was probably a contender
and nobody shot it.
They were all shooting Alex.
- No one shot the last one?
- No.
From what they were doing
your wave should be in the top five.
- The last wave.
- The last wave?
Yeah, but they couldn't find it.
Oh I don't know that's too bad
isn't it?
Alright.
And then uh
Okay. Good surfing.
Basically the rules of the biggest wave
within an event
really depend on
the video and photographic evidence.
Andrew Cotton caught an amazing wave
at the last minute of the challenge
and tragically it was not captured.
I remember them saying the cameraman
caught the wave in the score
and he caught it before the horn blast.
But everything was happening on
the inside with Alex and Hugo
and the attention
obviously went to that.
How this can happen?
When you have like 8-10 cameras?
They were pointing all the cameras
to the accident.
To the point they lost Cotty's wave.
Which was one of the biggest
on that day.
I looked up and I saw it and it was
a stunner but unfortunately,
not only everyone working on the event
but everyone who had a camera
who was attending the event
looked the other way. So it was not up
for consideration in the event.
Nor was it up for a consideration
of the biggest wave of the year.
Until we can have a camera over
every square centimeter of the earth
a few things are gonna go missing.
Hello, how are you my darling?
Well done. You did so well, brilliant.
You didn't even know
which one I was though.
But I think I knew sometimes.
No, it was great. So glad that I was
able to see you. It was brilliant.
I saw you on that big wave
coming down, I saw that.
Yes, we were fortunate to be
still out there watching the final wave
and it really, really was a big wave
but um,
I don't think an awful lot
of people did see it though.
Cotty loves surfing big waves.
It's all he wants to do.
He is hungry, super hungry.
Obsessed with big waves but
never really
Never really
Never really want anything
or really had that moment.
WSL AWARDS CEREMONY
My first words go to Alex and Hugo.
Let's give them a big round of
applause. I think they deserve it.
Second of all,
my family, the surfers.
Man,
you're here all these years.
I'll always be here to support you.
As long as the people of Nazaré
vote for me of course.
But if they don't, I'll still be here.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Have a nice evening.
There's Seb.
Thank you. You wanna say something?
I just came from the hospital.
Alex has a problem with his lung,
a lot of water in there,
but he will push through
and he will also be kept there
overnight. But probably also be fine.
And he asked me to pass the message
that he really enjoyed the day.
He's stoked that everyone charged
and he's happy to come back
and see all of us.
That's the message he had.
Beautiful stuff.
So to be unique to this event
we have the surfers voting on
all the awards tonight.
It is something where you can't blame
the judging,
because you are all the judges
as athletes.
I'm now going to introduce
the highlights of today.
So please pay attention to this very
closely so you can get your votes in.
The idea was we would watch
everyone's run and we'd all judge it.
Surfing is more of an art than a sport
and hard to judge in a lot of ways.
It was just about his gut feeling
as a surfer participating in an event.
What spoke to you?
Well there you go, round of applause
for an incredible day of surfing.
When you hear your name
please come up here and cast your vote.
I like the way the contest
was organized but
I didn't compete.
For me big waves
are about you and God.
But of course it's amazing for the
great community
and I respect it a lot.
Our tabulator here works quickly and
first awards women's wave of the day.
Over here,
and it will go to Justine Dupont.
The real trophy is getting that wave.
We could question the need for a trophy
in surfing?
I mean don't get me wrong, it's nice to
win some trophies of course.
- Do you recall the wave of the day?
- One was kind of special.
But it's not about winning,
it's about sharing.
Maya, her wave was huge today as well.
And tomorrow she will catch
a bigger one than me.
So I like this game. And we're helping
push the limits together with the boys.
So thanks for this, but yeah.
Tomorrow I'll give it back to Maya.
Thank you very much, merci.
That brings us to
the men's wave of the day.
I think that this one, the wave did
a lot of the work
but the teamwork got the wave.
So congratulations to Kai Lenny
for the wave of the day.
Kai, I want to ask you first.
That wave was pretty special, you ended
up splitting the peak with someone.
I think it was Team Britain that was
going on the left.
And I yelled at Lucas, I'm like, let's
go right and he's like, right, really?
Because he was going to go straight
to the cliff.
And he just whipped me up
and the wave was so smooth I didn't
know how big it was behind me.
If you were to ask any surfer to draw
the perfect wave
it would probably be something
like that.
- Wouldn't you agree?
- Yeah.
To be honest I remember seeing Kai
on the right
and I don't even remember seeing
what happened on the left.
That's how good the right was.
Hindsight is 20/20
and I've been on the other side of the
stick as well where
you could have gone
on the wave of the day.
I think it happens to every big wave
surfer where
he shoulda, coulda. But you just have
to go back out there
and hope you get another opportunity
at it.
Well you might stay up on the stage
because the next one,
you guys are the best team.
You won the best team as well.
One more round of applause
for all the competitors.
Did you guys ever figure out if
your last wave was found or ever seen?
Don't think there's any video.
But there's a still.
Which is nice.
But there will be
big waves tomorrow.
Bigger waves Monday.
It's just another wave.
I've got to go. Alright.
I'll see you in the morning.
- Where is MacNamara?
- No, he's gone. He's in there.
Oh now that's right.
I was thinking MacNamara wasn't there.
I'm gonna give him a kiss.
Hey you!
He was there the whole time.
I should have done the contest.
There's a small percentage of me that
wanted to.
The teams
are gonna get more organized,
they're gonna figure out
how to do better.
And it's gonna get harder.
It's just like the paddle contest.
I should have done that the first year
but I had a broken arm.
Now this one I've got a broken foot.
There's some
weird little juju going on
and I don't know what's wrong.
Figure out what I'm doing wrong, or
maybe I'm not doing anything wrong.
I don't know.
What would you have done though
that no one else
I would have got barrel. Plain and
simple, I would have got barrel.
I would have found a right barrel
and I would have gotten blown out
of a monster barrel.
And that's what would have won
the whole thing.
At 52 that would have been
pretty inspiring.
If it would have been perfect
conditions
Garrett would have surfed the contest.
I think he was just feeling fear,
fear of loss.
Or fear of another injury.
Garrett, ten years ago was like,
he wanted every wave under the sun.
He was hungry.
But now
the growing fear of wipeouts,
the impacts, the dangers.
Garrett's had a lot.
He's had more than most.
He's had a lot of beatings.
Oh my god.
The last four years he had an injury
and he hasn't surfed as much.
Before I got hurt
I really enjoyed being
underwater, enjoyed getting pounded,
and enjoyed every moment.
And Maverick's smacked me down.
The pain was so severe for so long
that it changed my outlook a bit.
And then in G-Land during that wipeout
it was spooky getting pounded
and thinking about my family
while I'm under water.
Not being there for them
definitely weighs on you a bit.
Big wave surfing is one of the most
challenging sports one can undertake
because
no matter how good you really are
you're going to reach a situation
that'll
nearly send you into oblivion.
The fear that comes into big wave
surfing. There's fear for your life.
You can't go out into the sea
and not be scared.
Fear is an ever present emotion.
Yet you have to go out into
certain conditions.
You have obligations to yourself
to your own drive.
Whenever you let go of the tow rope
to catch a wave
you don't know what's coming next.
You have no control over these
elements.
The only control you've got
is of yourself.
There's nervous energy there,
but then there's a moment in time where
it just disappears.
A deathly calm comes over you
and the fear
completely drains.
We know it's a sense of flying,
it's like being a bird.
We know it's all consuming like
you're not thinking about anything
else.
You're completely absorbed in the
moment, time goes slow you know?
A second probably equates to more like
ten seconds.
You are present. Intensely present.
You are a human being against
the wave
and against the challenge.
You become part of something
that is greater than you.
Part of nature, part of the universe.
And you're just riding, surfing,
flying.
Voila.
It's the closest I've ever felt to
euphoria.
I feel like I'm Icarus
and I'm getting so close to the sun
but my wax wings haven't melted
just yet.
They're putting their life on the line
every day when they go there.
Every wave can be their last wave.
It's what makes them feel alive.
It is magical and I think once
you get a connection with the ocean
I think it can be with you forever.
That feeling is the feeling I think
you end up chasing for your whole life.
I've been surfing now for 33 years
and I'm still chasing that same wave.
And that's why we pursue it.
That's why we do it our whole life.
That's why we fly around the world.
Because there's no one
alive that when riding a wave
wouldn't experience that feeling
and not want to go back out and spend
their whole life doing it.
Two days after WSL Challenge
We were trying to do these remote
control jet skis that we set up
and we were attempting to capture the
wave from a bunch of different angles.
And then in the midst of all of that,
Garrett I think decided to catch a wave
all of a sudden.
I'm looking up and there's perfect
smooth rights on the 3rd and 4th peak.
And that's like a dream,
it's just so fun.
I'm thinking okay I'm gonna go take
Cotty on a couple of waves
and then he's like man,
do you want one?
I almost want one.
My foot was kind of swollen.
I'll get you one if you want.
I'm like Okay.
It's been four years since
he had a really big wave.
Let's all follow our hearts.
Everything will go great.
I get on the rope
and there's the set.
There's Garrett.
Fear is something we choose.
Fear is when we're not in the moment.
When we choose to think about the past
or think about the future.
Two things that don't exist.
For the big waves the only thing
that exists is right now.
He got a bomb wave
but then it was disaster.
We got pounded.
He went over the fall.
And then he got washed up
on the beach.
I saw him on the beach on his knees
there and I thought he was hurt.
He just got a horrific wipeout.
He got two big waves on the head,
held under for 35-40 seconds.
And he came back smiling.
Five years I don't get pounded
so It feel so good.
I've been letting fear consume me.
I wasn't sure if I enjoyed being under
water anymore.
I really enjoyed it.
Yeah when I saw that big white water
coming at me I wasn't afraid
and I went over the falls
and I wasn't afraid.
It was like back to normal.
Pretty cool.
It was so good that that happened.
It was a sense of relief.
And where does the fear sit now?
The fear?
Well as of now
I feel the fear has disappeared.
Yeah. Gman is back.
Look at how good it is up there.
Oh I might have to go back out.
I think the spark is back,
Garrett's back
and he's gonna ride a 100-foot wave
here.
If the 100-foot day comes
and the conditions are right,
I'll definitely go out there and
ride it. There's no doubt about that.
Thank you all!
Welcome to Nazaré.
Never a dull moment.
Thank you very very much.
ONE MONTH LATER
Breaking news, stay at home,
that is the order tonight
from four state governors.
Governor David Ige announcing
a mandatory 2-week quarantine
for all travelers arriving in Hawaii
beginning Thursday, March 26th.
Now this will not apply to
My foot's all better.
No pain at all.
This is probably the longest
we've ever been home.
That's cilantro.
What's this one?
Sage. Wow.
Sometimes it's great
and other times it's not great.
Being trapped with my family
has been interesting.
It's been beautiful just surfing
regular waves and fun waves
and just slowing down enough
and remembering to enjoy it.
Garrett's also connecting with what's
important
to himself and his life.
I've actually been relaxing
with the family.
Definitely starting appreciating
everything out of the water more.
Not having to base everything on
the next ride and
needing that fix, that rush.
The best time of my life right now.
The best time.
Me come.
You're gonna get on the jetski.
- Do you wanna go with Sparrow?
- Yeah, Daddy.
Can't remember when I was home
for this long.
The work thing is eliminated
and I get to enjoy time with the kids.
But at the same time, as soon as
Portugal is open for surfing again,
I want to get back down there.
It's what I've got to be doing.
I actually miss Nazaré very much
right now.
The only thing I'm missing from this
quarantine, we're supposed to be there.
As soon as we can go back,
we're going back.
I'll probably be more prepared
than I've ever been.
Definitely the best shape that
I've been in since I got injured.
My body's strong enough, my ligaments,
my tendons, the muscles are all solid.
Shoulders and foot are ready.
He's looking good and feeling good and
he was out there surfing today
and he got some waves.
I couldn't get off the bottom
and the board was going like this.
I hit the bottom really hard
and then I kicked off the bottom
like superman.
Training for the next season is
continuous
and I want to be ready
physically, mentally.
I think Garett's been a really positive
role model in that
you can surf big waves into
your fifties.
It's inspiring to me to keep fit
and keep injury free. Keep focused.
Cotty's ready. Cotty wants it, 100%.
If it comes and Cotty's there,
he wants it.
And I really feel it going to Cotty
because he's given me
all of my best waves.
How many 100-foot waves have ever
broken on the planet Earth?
Ten? Twenty? Thirty? Thousands?
There's a lot of luck involved
with big wave surfing
but you make your own luck,
don't you?
CJ, if he wants it
then it could easily come to him.
I definitely could.
I know that I can.
Sometimes I don't want to.
Just 'cause
maybe there's some fear
and I think,
okay, one little bump the wrong way and
I'm paying the price.
But most of the time, seeing those big,
massive waves when it's good
Most of the time I want to.
And I'm feeling energized
to go back to Nazaré for sure.
When Garrett started surfing big waves
I'm sure he was
only one of a handful of people on the
planet
that wanted to surf 100-foot waves.
Now I think he's inspired
a whole new generation
and a whole new group of people
to want to go ride these giant waves.
Especially the 100-footer.
Hats down honestly
and thank you to him.
Because he opened up a path
for all of us.
Thanks to him we can all have these
experiences and share these emotions.
That's awesome.
So thank you, Garrett.
There's no doubt with Nazaré coming
onto the scene
that 100-foot waves
are definitely achievable.
And I think we all know that
there's bigger waves out there
and at some point in time
somebody will ride one.
The 100-foot wave is going to be a
120-foot wave when somebody rides it.
And if it's not Garrett,
I hope it's me.
I don't like to get too attached to
numbers, goals and things.
I want to perform really well,
but I don't want to be greedy.
In September, the WSL
recognized Maya's Tow Challengd wave
as the bigfest surfed by a man
or a woman in 2020.
The wave measured 73.5 feet,
breaking her own world record.
Surfers always have travelled
in search of waves.
In hopes of finding something
incredible
that might be greater than any of
the waves that we've ever ridden.
That's what we do, that's what we've
done, and that's what we'll always do.
When we met you, Garrett was talking
about the 100-foot wave.
Do you think after this last year
and a half,
do you think that's still the goal? Or
do you think it's changed?
You know what? I don't know.
I haven't gotten to the bottom of it
yet.
- Let me get
- No, I need help because it's small.
- To catch the wave?
- Yeah.
But I can imagine if that swell that
we've always known could come, comes
I don't think that there's any way that
he'd be able to stay out of the water.
If it's perfect conditions,
he's gonna go.
This is the 100-foot wave.
Life is the 100-foot wave.
This right here
is the 100-foot wave.
He was saying the 100-foot wave is
right now.
Yeah.
Yeah, I think it's definitely
changing for him. I don't know if it's
old age or what
but he seems a lot more content.
Go, go, go. Yes, yes, yes.
If you can live life
like you're riding 100-foot waves
all day every day
you're gonna have really amazing days.
welcome to Nazaré in Portugal.
The World's Surf League's
Big Wave Tour
now brings its focus
to the shores of Western Europe.
Where's the limit?
We're gonna find out.
The World's Surf League runs surfing
competitions all around the world.
And most of those events are held in
waves that will be from 2 to 6 feet.
The offshoot of it is
the Big Wave Tour,
where the waves need to be at least
35 feet on the face
and preferably bigger.
A humongous wave.
Pulling into a big barrel.
Nazaré has been an incredible resource
for running Big Waves.
That's because there are
so many big waves.
We've put on three editions
of the Nazaré challenge
as a paddle event
and it was radical.
I remember going there
for the Nazaré challenge,
paddle and surfing competition.
And I remember seeing
these giant waves and going,
how did I get myself into this mess?
The night before the competition
I was laying in my bed going,
I really hope I don't die tomorrow.
The reality of it is
we had too many days where the waves
were just too big to paddle.
Oh no! Over the handlebars
so to speak. And take a wipeout.
Oh my gosh!
Getting bsolutely steam rolled.
World champions were just terrified of
it and were just getting destroyed.
After that we decided maybe tow surfing
is the right format for this spot
because it's never too big.
I ended up surviving the event
but I was like, I'm okay
without ever coming here.
Pretty much all my friends from Hawaii
were like,
we're not coming back here ever again.
And it's odd because
over the years it's completely changed
and now I long to go to a place
like Nazaré. I love Nazaré.
It's one of my favorite Big Waves
in the world because
it's such a challenge and I've just
decided to accept that challenge.
Check out these monster 100-foot waves
off Portugal.
The biggest wave ever surfed.
As high as 100 feet.
To put it in perspective, that is
taller than an 8-story building.
Surfers are always looking for
the next great thing.
It often breaks those
brave or crazy board riders.
Severe white routes and waves
of mind-boggling heights.
What happens here,
happens nowhere else in the world.
The biggest wave ever surfed.
The biggest wave ever.
100-foot wave.
100 FOOT WAVE.
CHAPTER VI
ICARUS
Nazaré Tow Surfing Challenge
February 11, 2020
The Nazaré Tow Surfing Challenge really
was the first event of its kind ever.
A performance oriented, purely
tow surfing competitive event.
At this arena
where thousands of people
were watching.
Welcome back to live action
from the Nazaré Tow Surf Challenge.
The prize out here today
is the best ride.
We are on the way to heat,
one hour long.
Our goal with the format for the
Nazaré Tow Surfing challenge was
to have as much action going on
as possible
without jet skis crashing
into each other
and too much going on
where you lose track of the surfers.
So we had a priority system that
had never been used before
where we had a big screen on the side
of the lighthouse
and a judge that would say hey,
once you caught a wave basically
you go to the end of the line.
Back is clear.
Here we go. Andrew Cotton,
from Great Britain, a big fade.
He did ride that wave really well,
he put himself in a great position.
And that is Lucas Chianca,
massive wedge of a peak.
Look at this scene, this is one of the
biggest waves we've seen.
Tom Butler that was.
That was a very, very tall one.
Kai Lenny got involved.
What you can expect from him,
he's gonna do stuff like that.
Complete spin, 360 degrees.
Lands with control and then
drops back in and loses control.
Oh and what a tumble.
Wow, that was crazy stuff.
There were thousands
and thousands of people.
That was pretty astonishing
just to see that amount of people.
I felt like a gladiator in Thunderdome.
We're over here to see Andrew surf
for the first time.
Andrew Cotton that is.
I've seen him scores of times on video
and TV
but never actually being here.
So it's amazing to see it.
We've got to manifest
one really good wave for Cotty
and one really good wave for Tom
in this next scene.
I'm gonna go up there to study so that
I can call the wave.
First speed, first speed.
Here we go, doubles.
Yes, here we go,
we've got Cotty on the inside.
That is a massive wave.
She has her wings out,
stabilizing herself.
She is next level.
I could see her winning actually.
Beating all the guys.
I would love that.
Justine Dupont, you just surfed your
half hour heat, how was it out there?
I was so lucky, I got a really nice
wave at the beginning of the heat,
so then we were pretty confident
and just having fun.
We surf those big waves every day.
The difference is that
it was broadcast live.
I loved being able to share that
with everyone.
Tell us about the conditions today.
Is this everything you'd hoped for
for the event to run?
Yeah it's really good.
There's not that much wind,
so we are not used to having
this condition, that perfect.
Right now I'd like to be in the water,
yeah.
Because it's so smooth.
This is the kind of day
that I live for.
- It looks like Maya Gabeira.
- This wave's got a wall on it.
This is the kind of wave you want
if you can get around that.
Now she's gonna deal with
some white water here.
The noise and the power that exploded
all around me.
I don't know how I would have reacted
on a free surf
but because I was competing I saw that
bomb and didn't even think about it.
I went all the way to the bottom and
then I saw that there was no way
that I was going to be able to turn
at that point. I just held on.
The explosion of white water
gets the better of Maya.
I got really lucky because
I just had enough that I was thrown
forward and not down.
And now we get to see Sebastian
and his ability to get in.
And there's the pickup for Maya,
all good.
I just got so close to something
so scary
that I must say that it took
a lot of my confidence away.
I was one athlete up until that point,
and then I became another athlete for
the other part of the competition.
Where I was like, I don't want
to play that close to fire, you know?
I want to surf well but this is not
worth my life.
Where are you guys?
We're still riding.
Spotting is really tough.
Really tough. I'm just trying to study
the waves so I could choose better.
It's so challenging
to pick the right wave.
I've got a lot of sympathy
for the spotters.
We're running on a big one.
Can you tell me where red is?
Where's red?
I know he found it more difficult
than what he envisioned
and I think that's probably because
he's used to being out in the sea.
When you're in the water
you're more focused on
just what's around you,
not every aspect of that.
Red's first priority now? Yeah?
You guys have priority.
Wait for the bottom.
There's a second bottom coming.
A second set is coming.
Tell Cotty I'll let you guys know
if it's a good right.
The rights are hollow and amazing.
If it's a good right,
tell him to go right.
You guys are a priority.
This next wave is really good.
I was surfing and Garrett's called
theway on the radio
and it was a left hander
and a right hander.
It was a perfect pick,
you could have gone any way.
We were down at like
5th priority at this point.
We saw the other team going and we had
to wait to see what they did first.
I was just looking left, I didn't see
what was going on behind me,
over my shoulder on the right.
When we figured out that they were
going left,
oh scoot me on the right.
Left, left, left, left.
That was fine?
I just had this wave
that just was
that wave that everyone draws
during their algebra class.
This perfect 70-foot barrel.
I'd have to say from the last wave
it looks like you had fun out there.
Yeah it's super fun and it's super sick
to just be here right now.
Both Lucas and I want to ride like an
80-footer if one eventually comes in.
Well are you ready to go? You seem to
be in the nominations so far,
to keep going with the rest of
the event.
FINAL HEA There's tons of waves. Don't worry.
There's tons of waves.
Can you hear Cotty on the radio
or can you hear me?
We can hear you when you talk but all
we hear is when you're not talking.
He knew that he was losing it
towards the end.
Left inside, go, go, go.
Way over, way over.
This next wave is the wave.
That's where you don't want to be.
Here and there, right and left.
It's like classic Garrett.
How much time?
Two minutes guys,
let's get you on the nugget.
There is a big set coming,
there is a big set coming.
Get on the rope, get on the rope.
This is the wave, this is
the magic wave. Go for this wave.
What?
Towards the end of that final heat
I was towing fronting into a wave
and then it kind of came across
the radio,
skis down, skis down.
We lost the ski, we lost the ski.
Alex and Hugo were on the inside,
they didn't have backup safety.
They were going back out
and there was this whitewater
and then a sideways wave.
And they flew over the sideways and
landed sideways.
Hit the ski really hard,
and I think Alex knocked out on impact.
And then both of them were in the water
and Hugo's there
trying to get back on the ski.
And they're still under water.
Not popping up.
Then everybody realized this piece of
foam that they saw floating
wasn't just a piece of foam
or a life jacket, it was Alex.
There he is, there he is.
During the event I was the safety
driver for any necessary situation.
Alemao Edilson Luis Da Assunçao,
WSL Nazaré Challenge Safety Driver
When I saw a person,
I identified Alex
and he was partially unconscious.
He was trying to fight for his life.
He was in shock.
I tried to grab him.
I couldn't at first.
Then a wave came and I escaped.
I came back, tried to talk to him.
"Alex come with me, come with me."
He wouldn't respond.
Then another wave came.
It's the second time that we ever see
a body floating out there.
The first time it was mine
and now was the second.
I swam to him. I tried to grab him
as tightly as possible.
So I wouldn't lose him during
the next wave.
Then we got hit with a big wave
right on the sand.
He rolled away and I did too.
I completely lost him.
He showed up a bit further away.
I remember I saw many lifeguards,
many friends and many jetski drivers,
everyone trying to look for him.
When Hugo Vau and Alex
had their accident,
I was with Scooby
and no one told us on the radio.
We just kept surfing.
We didn't hear it.
There's no real info. It's just
nobody knew what happened.
It was until
social media or something with the
video and then it was just, oh shit.
Extraordinary pictures that have come
in from Nazaré, Portugal,
Alex Botelho got wiped out
while on a jetski.
Botelho was unconscious when
lifeguards pulled him from the water.
He was unconscious for two minutes.
It was a moment of panic.
It looked like he broke his back there
and then boom, wave washes in
like the heaviest thing
and then he's just out. He's just out
and there's no skis and it's like
So you saw the whole thing?
And then I just ran down
and he started breathing again.
But yeah, heavy.
When Alex and Hugo get flipped
upside down with the jet ski,
you realize you are nothing
compared to this giant ocean.
Wow. It really took us back to reality.
We must do even better.
Be more strict with safety.
To me that is really
the most important thing.
It's hard. I surfed the contest really
expecting my body
if it eventually floated unconscious
to be grabbed and taken to the beach
very quickly.
And to see that that didn't go that way
with a friend of ours
it just
I don't know, it's scary.
A lot of preparation went into having
a safety plan.
But in the end, Alex Botelho was not
riding a wave,
he was getting a lift back out with
his partner and the jet ski crashed.
If you attended all of the safety
meetings,
that wasn't something that
everyone was looking for.
Luckily Alemao followed Hugo
or Alex wouldn't be here.
He was watching four other teams
at the same time.
But he made sure that he went in
and got out.
Alemao was the real hero.
I would never be the best in Nazaré.
No one will ever be.
No one's ready for Nazaré.
Not even the best ones and the best
prepared, like Hugo and Alex.
Everyone is subject to being
knocked out.
It's a ring without a gladiator.
Over there the winner is always
"Big Mama" Nature.
It definitely makes me think
he was lucky.
when you're out in the water
everything changes,
you're like a kid in the candy store.
Usually.
How was today, Cotty?
It was alright.
A couple of big waves.
But it was a bit of a weird one
ending like it did.
Hopefully I'm
You know, I
Got an interview for BBC news
with Tom.
I'm quite tired, I definitely don't
want to be doing interviews.
Public speaking's
one of my biggest fears.
And uh, now I do it for a job.
That's way worse than surfing
80-foot waves.
Andrew, Tom,
thank you very much for doing this.
Andrew, first of all tells us what
conditions have been like
for big wave surfing there
for the last couple of days.
Today the swells will peak probably at
like 60 feet maybe?
And it was a Nazaré tow challenge,
yeah it's been a great day.
And how are you getting on
in the competition?
We don't know. We surfed all day today.
We found out tonight at 7:00 there's
an awards ceremony at the Lighthouse.
I hate to remind you, Andrew, of what
happened there a few years ago.
You had a spectacular wipeout
that nearly ended your career.
How are things progressing
from then on?
The wipeout a couple of years ago,
it was traumatic but it was just
an injury. And, and
Whatever I do it's always about the
broken back,
it's all about the injury.
It's like shit I've surfed
so many good waves and they're like
All they want to talk about
is the injury.
Which is kind of sad isn't it?
No one really cares about the ones
you make,
they want to see about the ones
you don't. You know?
How many interviews have you
been asked about your wipeout?
It's just like oh my god.
See you later.
I'm so glad you guys are alright,
thank you for looking after Tom for me.
We did some good waves man.
You're looking for a shirt, right?
- You've got one in the camper there.
- I am there.
See you in a little bit.
Hi, mate.
Sorry I wasn't that good up there.
It's so hard.
Yeah, I know. You're fine. It was good,
it was good.
- It's hard though, isn't it?
- It's so gnarly.
It's hard, eh? Did anyone get any
what was the
Your last wave was probably a contender
and nobody shot it.
They were all shooting Alex.
- No one shot the last one?
- No.
From what they were doing
your wave should be in the top five.
- The last wave.
- The last wave?
Yeah, but they couldn't find it.
Oh I don't know that's too bad
isn't it?
Alright.
And then uh
Okay. Good surfing.
Basically the rules of the biggest wave
within an event
really depend on
the video and photographic evidence.
Andrew Cotton caught an amazing wave
at the last minute of the challenge
and tragically it was not captured.
I remember them saying the cameraman
caught the wave in the score
and he caught it before the horn blast.
But everything was happening on
the inside with Alex and Hugo
and the attention
obviously went to that.
How this can happen?
When you have like 8-10 cameras?
They were pointing all the cameras
to the accident.
To the point they lost Cotty's wave.
Which was one of the biggest
on that day.
I looked up and I saw it and it was
a stunner but unfortunately,
not only everyone working on the event
but everyone who had a camera
who was attending the event
looked the other way. So it was not up
for consideration in the event.
Nor was it up for a consideration
of the biggest wave of the year.
Until we can have a camera over
every square centimeter of the earth
a few things are gonna go missing.
Hello, how are you my darling?
Well done. You did so well, brilliant.
You didn't even know
which one I was though.
But I think I knew sometimes.
No, it was great. So glad that I was
able to see you. It was brilliant.
I saw you on that big wave
coming down, I saw that.
Yes, we were fortunate to be
still out there watching the final wave
and it really, really was a big wave
but um,
I don't think an awful lot
of people did see it though.
Cotty loves surfing big waves.
It's all he wants to do.
He is hungry, super hungry.
Obsessed with big waves but
never really
Never really
Never really want anything
or really had that moment.
WSL AWARDS CEREMONY
My first words go to Alex and Hugo.
Let's give them a big round of
applause. I think they deserve it.
Second of all,
my family, the surfers.
Man,
you're here all these years.
I'll always be here to support you.
As long as the people of Nazaré
vote for me of course.
But if they don't, I'll still be here.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Have a nice evening.
There's Seb.
Thank you. You wanna say something?
I just came from the hospital.
Alex has a problem with his lung,
a lot of water in there,
but he will push through
and he will also be kept there
overnight. But probably also be fine.
And he asked me to pass the message
that he really enjoyed the day.
He's stoked that everyone charged
and he's happy to come back
and see all of us.
That's the message he had.
Beautiful stuff.
So to be unique to this event
we have the surfers voting on
all the awards tonight.
It is something where you can't blame
the judging,
because you are all the judges
as athletes.
I'm now going to introduce
the highlights of today.
So please pay attention to this very
closely so you can get your votes in.
The idea was we would watch
everyone's run and we'd all judge it.
Surfing is more of an art than a sport
and hard to judge in a lot of ways.
It was just about his gut feeling
as a surfer participating in an event.
What spoke to you?
Well there you go, round of applause
for an incredible day of surfing.
When you hear your name
please come up here and cast your vote.
I like the way the contest
was organized but
I didn't compete.
For me big waves
are about you and God.
But of course it's amazing for the
great community
and I respect it a lot.
Our tabulator here works quickly and
first awards women's wave of the day.
Over here,
and it will go to Justine Dupont.
The real trophy is getting that wave.
We could question the need for a trophy
in surfing?
I mean don't get me wrong, it's nice to
win some trophies of course.
- Do you recall the wave of the day?
- One was kind of special.
But it's not about winning,
it's about sharing.
Maya, her wave was huge today as well.
And tomorrow she will catch
a bigger one than me.
So I like this game. And we're helping
push the limits together with the boys.
So thanks for this, but yeah.
Tomorrow I'll give it back to Maya.
Thank you very much, merci.
That brings us to
the men's wave of the day.
I think that this one, the wave did
a lot of the work
but the teamwork got the wave.
So congratulations to Kai Lenny
for the wave of the day.
Kai, I want to ask you first.
That wave was pretty special, you ended
up splitting the peak with someone.
I think it was Team Britain that was
going on the left.
And I yelled at Lucas, I'm like, let's
go right and he's like, right, really?
Because he was going to go straight
to the cliff.
And he just whipped me up
and the wave was so smooth I didn't
know how big it was behind me.
If you were to ask any surfer to draw
the perfect wave
it would probably be something
like that.
- Wouldn't you agree?
- Yeah.
To be honest I remember seeing Kai
on the right
and I don't even remember seeing
what happened on the left.
That's how good the right was.
Hindsight is 20/20
and I've been on the other side of the
stick as well where
you could have gone
on the wave of the day.
I think it happens to every big wave
surfer where
he shoulda, coulda. But you just have
to go back out there
and hope you get another opportunity
at it.
Well you might stay up on the stage
because the next one,
you guys are the best team.
You won the best team as well.
One more round of applause
for all the competitors.
Did you guys ever figure out if
your last wave was found or ever seen?
Don't think there's any video.
But there's a still.
Which is nice.
But there will be
big waves tomorrow.
Bigger waves Monday.
It's just another wave.
I've got to go. Alright.
I'll see you in the morning.
- Where is MacNamara?
- No, he's gone. He's in there.
Oh now that's right.
I was thinking MacNamara wasn't there.
I'm gonna give him a kiss.
Hey you!
He was there the whole time.
I should have done the contest.
There's a small percentage of me that
wanted to.
The teams
are gonna get more organized,
they're gonna figure out
how to do better.
And it's gonna get harder.
It's just like the paddle contest.
I should have done that the first year
but I had a broken arm.
Now this one I've got a broken foot.
There's some
weird little juju going on
and I don't know what's wrong.
Figure out what I'm doing wrong, or
maybe I'm not doing anything wrong.
I don't know.
What would you have done though
that no one else
I would have got barrel. Plain and
simple, I would have got barrel.
I would have found a right barrel
and I would have gotten blown out
of a monster barrel.
And that's what would have won
the whole thing.
At 52 that would have been
pretty inspiring.
If it would have been perfect
conditions
Garrett would have surfed the contest.
I think he was just feeling fear,
fear of loss.
Or fear of another injury.
Garrett, ten years ago was like,
he wanted every wave under the sun.
He was hungry.
But now
the growing fear of wipeouts,
the impacts, the dangers.
Garrett's had a lot.
He's had more than most.
He's had a lot of beatings.
Oh my god.
The last four years he had an injury
and he hasn't surfed as much.
Before I got hurt
I really enjoyed being
underwater, enjoyed getting pounded,
and enjoyed every moment.
And Maverick's smacked me down.
The pain was so severe for so long
that it changed my outlook a bit.
And then in G-Land during that wipeout
it was spooky getting pounded
and thinking about my family
while I'm under water.
Not being there for them
definitely weighs on you a bit.
Big wave surfing is one of the most
challenging sports one can undertake
because
no matter how good you really are
you're going to reach a situation
that'll
nearly send you into oblivion.
The fear that comes into big wave
surfing. There's fear for your life.
You can't go out into the sea
and not be scared.
Fear is an ever present emotion.
Yet you have to go out into
certain conditions.
You have obligations to yourself
to your own drive.
Whenever you let go of the tow rope
to catch a wave
you don't know what's coming next.
You have no control over these
elements.
The only control you've got
is of yourself.
There's nervous energy there,
but then there's a moment in time where
it just disappears.
A deathly calm comes over you
and the fear
completely drains.
We know it's a sense of flying,
it's like being a bird.
We know it's all consuming like
you're not thinking about anything
else.
You're completely absorbed in the
moment, time goes slow you know?
A second probably equates to more like
ten seconds.
You are present. Intensely present.
You are a human being against
the wave
and against the challenge.
You become part of something
that is greater than you.
Part of nature, part of the universe.
And you're just riding, surfing,
flying.
Voila.
It's the closest I've ever felt to
euphoria.
I feel like I'm Icarus
and I'm getting so close to the sun
but my wax wings haven't melted
just yet.
They're putting their life on the line
every day when they go there.
Every wave can be their last wave.
It's what makes them feel alive.
It is magical and I think once
you get a connection with the ocean
I think it can be with you forever.
That feeling is the feeling I think
you end up chasing for your whole life.
I've been surfing now for 33 years
and I'm still chasing that same wave.
And that's why we pursue it.
That's why we do it our whole life.
That's why we fly around the world.
Because there's no one
alive that when riding a wave
wouldn't experience that feeling
and not want to go back out and spend
their whole life doing it.
Two days after WSL Challenge
We were trying to do these remote
control jet skis that we set up
and we were attempting to capture the
wave from a bunch of different angles.
And then in the midst of all of that,
Garrett I think decided to catch a wave
all of a sudden.
I'm looking up and there's perfect
smooth rights on the 3rd and 4th peak.
And that's like a dream,
it's just so fun.
I'm thinking okay I'm gonna go take
Cotty on a couple of waves
and then he's like man,
do you want one?
I almost want one.
My foot was kind of swollen.
I'll get you one if you want.
I'm like Okay.
It's been four years since
he had a really big wave.
Let's all follow our hearts.
Everything will go great.
I get on the rope
and there's the set.
There's Garrett.
Fear is something we choose.
Fear is when we're not in the moment.
When we choose to think about the past
or think about the future.
Two things that don't exist.
For the big waves the only thing
that exists is right now.
He got a bomb wave
but then it was disaster.
We got pounded.
He went over the fall.
And then he got washed up
on the beach.
I saw him on the beach on his knees
there and I thought he was hurt.
He just got a horrific wipeout.
He got two big waves on the head,
held under for 35-40 seconds.
And he came back smiling.
Five years I don't get pounded
so It feel so good.
I've been letting fear consume me.
I wasn't sure if I enjoyed being under
water anymore.
I really enjoyed it.
Yeah when I saw that big white water
coming at me I wasn't afraid
and I went over the falls
and I wasn't afraid.
It was like back to normal.
Pretty cool.
It was so good that that happened.
It was a sense of relief.
And where does the fear sit now?
The fear?
Well as of now
I feel the fear has disappeared.
Yeah. Gman is back.
Look at how good it is up there.
Oh I might have to go back out.
I think the spark is back,
Garrett's back
and he's gonna ride a 100-foot wave
here.
If the 100-foot day comes
and the conditions are right,
I'll definitely go out there and
ride it. There's no doubt about that.
Thank you all!
Welcome to Nazaré.
Never a dull moment.
Thank you very very much.
ONE MONTH LATER
Breaking news, stay at home,
that is the order tonight
from four state governors.
Governor David Ige announcing
a mandatory 2-week quarantine
for all travelers arriving in Hawaii
beginning Thursday, March 26th.
Now this will not apply to
My foot's all better.
No pain at all.
This is probably the longest
we've ever been home.
That's cilantro.
What's this one?
Sage. Wow.
Sometimes it's great
and other times it's not great.
Being trapped with my family
has been interesting.
It's been beautiful just surfing
regular waves and fun waves
and just slowing down enough
and remembering to enjoy it.
Garrett's also connecting with what's
important
to himself and his life.
I've actually been relaxing
with the family.
Definitely starting appreciating
everything out of the water more.
Not having to base everything on
the next ride and
needing that fix, that rush.
The best time of my life right now.
The best time.
Me come.
You're gonna get on the jetski.
- Do you wanna go with Sparrow?
- Yeah, Daddy.
Can't remember when I was home
for this long.
The work thing is eliminated
and I get to enjoy time with the kids.
But at the same time, as soon as
Portugal is open for surfing again,
I want to get back down there.
It's what I've got to be doing.
I actually miss Nazaré very much
right now.
The only thing I'm missing from this
quarantine, we're supposed to be there.
As soon as we can go back,
we're going back.
I'll probably be more prepared
than I've ever been.
Definitely the best shape that
I've been in since I got injured.
My body's strong enough, my ligaments,
my tendons, the muscles are all solid.
Shoulders and foot are ready.
He's looking good and feeling good and
he was out there surfing today
and he got some waves.
I couldn't get off the bottom
and the board was going like this.
I hit the bottom really hard
and then I kicked off the bottom
like superman.
Training for the next season is
continuous
and I want to be ready
physically, mentally.
I think Garett's been a really positive
role model in that
you can surf big waves into
your fifties.
It's inspiring to me to keep fit
and keep injury free. Keep focused.
Cotty's ready. Cotty wants it, 100%.
If it comes and Cotty's there,
he wants it.
And I really feel it going to Cotty
because he's given me
all of my best waves.
How many 100-foot waves have ever
broken on the planet Earth?
Ten? Twenty? Thirty? Thousands?
There's a lot of luck involved
with big wave surfing
but you make your own luck,
don't you?
CJ, if he wants it
then it could easily come to him.
I definitely could.
I know that I can.
Sometimes I don't want to.
Just 'cause
maybe there's some fear
and I think,
okay, one little bump the wrong way and
I'm paying the price.
But most of the time, seeing those big,
massive waves when it's good
Most of the time I want to.
And I'm feeling energized
to go back to Nazaré for sure.
When Garrett started surfing big waves
I'm sure he was
only one of a handful of people on the
planet
that wanted to surf 100-foot waves.
Now I think he's inspired
a whole new generation
and a whole new group of people
to want to go ride these giant waves.
Especially the 100-footer.
Hats down honestly
and thank you to him.
Because he opened up a path
for all of us.
Thanks to him we can all have these
experiences and share these emotions.
That's awesome.
So thank you, Garrett.
There's no doubt with Nazaré coming
onto the scene
that 100-foot waves
are definitely achievable.
And I think we all know that
there's bigger waves out there
and at some point in time
somebody will ride one.
The 100-foot wave is going to be a
120-foot wave when somebody rides it.
And if it's not Garrett,
I hope it's me.
I don't like to get too attached to
numbers, goals and things.
I want to perform really well,
but I don't want to be greedy.
In September, the WSL
recognized Maya's Tow Challengd wave
as the bigfest surfed by a man
or a woman in 2020.
The wave measured 73.5 feet,
breaking her own world record.
Surfers always have travelled
in search of waves.
In hopes of finding something
incredible
that might be greater than any of
the waves that we've ever ridden.
That's what we do, that's what we've
done, and that's what we'll always do.
When we met you, Garrett was talking
about the 100-foot wave.
Do you think after this last year
and a half,
do you think that's still the goal? Or
do you think it's changed?
You know what? I don't know.
I haven't gotten to the bottom of it
yet.
- Let me get
- No, I need help because it's small.
- To catch the wave?
- Yeah.
But I can imagine if that swell that
we've always known could come, comes
I don't think that there's any way that
he'd be able to stay out of the water.
If it's perfect conditions,
he's gonna go.
This is the 100-foot wave.
Life is the 100-foot wave.
This right here
is the 100-foot wave.
He was saying the 100-foot wave is
right now.
Yeah.
Yeah, I think it's definitely
changing for him. I don't know if it's
old age or what
but he seems a lot more content.
Go, go, go. Yes, yes, yes.
If you can live life
like you're riding 100-foot waves
all day every day
you're gonna have really amazing days.