Biggest Wave Ever Surfed

In 2017, big-wave surfer Andrew Cotton suffered what could have been a potential career-ending and life-changing injury after breaking his back during a wipeout in Nazaré, Portugal. Three years later he returned to the same spot to redeem himself and achieve his dream of surfing one of the biggest waves ever. The 37-year-old professional surfer took time to speak to the Guardian to talk through his injury, recovery and journey back to the top.

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‘A liquid catapult’: big-wave surfer returns to scene of nightmare wipeout ► https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/nov/20/a-liquid-catapult-big-wave-surfer-returns-to-scene-of-nightmare-wipeout

Riding the giant: big-wave surfing in Nazaré ► https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/aug/02/nazare-in-portugal-is-the-home-to-the-worlds-biggest-waves-and-bravest-surfers

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At six, Quincy Symonds is already tipped as a future Layne Beachley or Stephanie Gilmore.

They call her The Flying Squirrel. She may well be the best six-year-old surfer and skater on the planet. Prepare to be gobsmacked.
Stepping into the water at the legendary Snapper Rocks surf break on the Gold Coast, it is easy to forget that the person I’m here to film has just turned six.

Quincy Symonds (aka The Flying Squirrel, we’ll get to the nickname later) is quite possibly the world’s best six-year-old surfer and skater. The Tweed Heads local only started surfing about 18 months ago and, in a very short time, has captured the attention of the surfing world, gained multiple sponsors and garnered a fanatical following on social media.

Her parents are right behind her, but they’re not pushy “stage parents”. Quincy’s dad Jake has been a surfer most of his life and his love for the ocean inspired her to get in the water. Her mum Kim says it was the most natural thing in the world.

“The very first time I saw her out in the ocean she changed, she became a complete person,” she explains. “To say that about a four or five-year-old might sound very strange, but I watched it happen.”

“It just doesn’t make sense to me, how she’s able to do what she does,” says Jake. “I’m amazed by it. I’m really proud of it but, to be honest, I can’t comprehend how she does it.”

“She has no fear,” offers Quincy’s coach Anthony Pope. “And she just doesn’t fall off. She has incredible balance and her ability to judge the conditions and adjust is at a level I’ve never seen in someone her age.”

While Quincy’s feats in the water are impressive on their own, they are even more inspiring given that she has battled a serious medical condition for her entire life.

Not long after she was born, she was rushed into the Intensive Care Unit suffering adrenal crisis. After extensive testing, Quincy was diagnosed with Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia, a genetic disorder that affects her body’s ability to create cortisone.

Quincy’s condition means she is steroid dependent. “Steroid dependency at this age requires medication three times a day,” Kim explains. “In times of sickness, Quincy needs intensive medical treatment.”

READ MORE OF QUINCY’S STORY AT ABC OPEN
https://open.abc.net.au/posts/a-small-surfer-makes-waves-74nk2gi
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abcopen/

Best Big Wave Season so far? I think so! It is exciting to know I am only just starting to scratch the surface of what is possible.

Koa Smith gives you a cinematic wave-check tour of the North Shore during the biggest swell of the year. The raw ocean energy was so powerful, bringing spectators and tourists from around the island to watch in awe as the huge waves exploded against the coastline. After flying his drone and witnessing the intensity of Pipeline, Sharks Cove and Keiki, Koa heads to Waimea with his brothers, Alex and Travis, to ride giant waves. #surf #tourism #hawaii

Filmed and edited by Michael Veltman
https://www.instagram.com/shmikesss
https://vimeo.com/michaelveltman

Follow the Smith brothers on Instagram:
Koa Smith – https://www.instagram.com/koasmith
Alex Smith – https://www.instagram.com/alexsmith_
Travis Smith – https://www.instagram.com/triggtrav
Smith Brothers IG – https://www.instagram.com/smithbroshawaii

Spotify (NEW*) – https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1vZl5V9HdTBj8ZqxC3KIPd?si=lFvMUF–Sauw6LV-0PAnNQ

Music:

Master Defender – Max Anson
And Then I Met You… – Matt Large
Pretty Carolina (Instrumental Version) – Jontha Links
N20 – Power Druid
Cornered Bugs – Experia
Vella – Valante
Eternal State – dvine
Piano for Painkillers – Matt Large