Biggest Wave Ever Surfed

In 1979, a Mexican army truck and a small U.S.-registered airplane race toward each other on a remote airstrip in southern Mexico. Their game of chicken marks the end of a young surfer’s true-life smuggling odyssey involving midnight powwows with indigenous Zapotecs of Oaxaca, paddling kilos of marijuana across the Rio Grande on surfboards, learning to fly, and a stint in the Oaxaca State Penitentiary.
 
Flying Into the Sun is the true story of one Texas surfer’s unlikely path to a career as a professional pilot, but it is not just about flying and learning to fly. It is an introspective, coming-of-age tale that weaves through a secret Mexico and chronicles the fast-changing 1970s in the U.S. with its emergent culture of long hair and drugs, rebellious youth versus hostile law enforcement, and the music and pop themes of the times.

PRAISE FOR FLYING INTO THE SUN

“On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair; Warm smell of colitas, rising up through the air . . . . Oh, the good ol’ days of red-haired Mexican pot in the 70s. Paul Ogier tells an engaging and entertaining story about his youthful misadventures as a drug runner at a time when people were discovering the joys of marijuana. Not only is “Flying Into The sun” well written, but there is a quiet wit about it that had me laughing out loud at several sections. As a coming of age story, this is certainly one of the best. It’s insightful and has its touching moments. The ending left me both sad and uplifted that the main character had finally reached a level of maturity that set him on another path to his dreams. But the next time I fly, I will be wondering what youthful indiscretions the captain had committed!”
~Patricia Griffon, Author of “Blind Reason”
 
“Yup, I love books. And I’m always happy to find out about a surf/travel book that takes me back to places I’ve been to, or back to a time I’ve missed. Flying into the Sun is a mix of both…a time before smartphone navigation in rental cars or even planes, and what more a surfboard can be used for than just riding waves…
Worth a read.”
~thefreesurfer.com

“This is fantastic!! It’s going to be BIG! I see a movie!”
~Chris Cantara, pilot & owner of Seaside Aviation, LLC

“I began Flying Into the Sun with my pilot’s cap on, expecting a tale of youthful bounds-pushing and flying anecdotes. Well, by page two I realized a lot more than bounds-pushing was unfolding, and the flying I expected was turning into chemically-enhanced and Mexican-grown flying of the kind best enjoyed by a campfire on a secluded beach. By the story’s halfway point, I was as deep into the marijuana, hash, and coke world of smugglers and risk-takers as I’d ever been, and loving every moment of Paul Ogier’s narrow escapes. Until escape was no longer an option. If you are a pilot, you will find yourself back in the cockpit on your first solo cross country…you know, the one you screwed up but managed to survive? In Ogier’s case, managing to survive airborne and car-borne cross countries was both physically and financially dicey. The author’s knowledgeable weaving of songs of the 70s (with a backhand to disco)to add color and texture to Flying Into the Sun is simply brilliant. But this is not a book about flying or music or even youthful risk-taking and consequences.This is a timeless story of an insatiable appetite that drives some elements of virtually all societies to create markets and methods to feed that often-deadly hunger.”
~Jim Moore
 
“If you spent anytime in Mexico in the 60’s and 70’s you will appreciate this read as a coming of age story.Mexico was a surfers paradise, the sweet unspoiled Mexican frontier was made for youth and adventure. Paul does a good job of showing how one matured from a surf bum to the left seat for a major airline. Understanding where you’ve been helps know where you want to go…especially if it’s a Mexican prison. Yeah, it’s that good.”
~Jonathon Blair

New world record for the largest wave ever surfed (80 feet high) by @rodrigokoxa

This is how big and crazy jaws can be
would you go there?

Durability That Lasts

Super-stretch panels around your knees and armpits make sure your wetsuit flexes where it should and doesn’t lose its elasticity. Special knee pads and shoulder pads have anti-abrasion technology, making it perfect for water sports that require extra gear, like scuba diving and snorkeling. Whether you’re an experienced diver or a beginner to wearing a wetsuit, this one lasts through the wear and tear.

Comfortable for All-Day Wear

Go right from snorkeling at the surface to diving in the deep; this 3mm neoprene full-body wetsuit forms to your body for maximum comfort and doesn’t irritate your skin.

Easy Donning & Doffing

An extra long leash and #10 YKK zipper makes it easy to slip into your wetsuit just before your dive or layer under other gear for cold-water activities.

SIZING DISCLAIMER:

For best performance, Seavenger wetsuits are designed to fit very tightly to provide maximum insulation. A well-fitted wetsuit should allow the wearer to breathe normally and move with some effort but may feel slightly constricting.

Product Features

• PREMIUM QUALITY – 3mm neoprene material is ideal for 65° F & up.
• GREAT FOR SURFERS – Sharkskin front panel gives extra durability & reduces wear & tear.
• COMFORTABLE WEAR – Flat-lock stitching prevents chafing while the multi-panel design gives a contoured fit.
• ULTRA-FLEXIBLE – Multi-panel design gives a contoured fit that moves with you.
• EASY DONNING & DOFFING – Extra-long leash & a #10 YKK zipper for comfort & convenience.

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Another winter, other media storm about the biggest wave ever surfed. On Monday the 28th the brazilian Carlos Burlé was towed into a behemoth in the sleepy little town of Nazaré Portugal. By Tuesday morning my time, Helio Valtentim and the magazine SURFportugal had already taken the footage and set it to O Fortuna, which you will recognize as that really dramatic classical music song that filmmakers always use when they want you to know that you are watching something that is going to change life as we know it. By next Monday, we will have forgotten about it and moved on to the next clip

But let’s give credit where it’s due. Burlé’s wave was straight out of Revelations. It’s one of those waves that is so big and so mean looking you actually breath a sigh of relief when the lip finally reaches it’s apex and pitches into the trough. You know all the waves that you paddle over with your heart in your colon during the biggest swell of the year at you local spot? Burle’s wave was actually as big as you imagine those waves to be. Bigger even.

Carlos Burle Sets Potential New World Record at Maxed Out Nazaré

Now the discussion begins: was it the biggest wave ever? Honestly I don’t want to go there again. Nine months ago we were in this exact same spot when Garrett MacNamara caught the last biggest wave ever surfed at Nazaré. He never got the credit he deserved much less for pioneering nazaré as a spot because of the supposably mushy way the wave breaks, and, let’s be honest: the fact that Gmac has a knack for bombast that tends to rub some in the surf community the wrong way. After snubbing the XXL big wave awards, perhaps the most genius surf-business move of the year — he applied to Guinness and put himself in the record books with a wave that was “officially” measured at 78 feet.

So let’s get right down to it. We all take wave height far too seriously. In the grand scheme of things, it matters not one iota if Burle’s wave is 50 feet or 150 feet. It was huge, I’m impressed, that’s all I need to know The only people who really care about arbitrary measurements like wave height are ones who have created an entire industry based on, well, Arbitrary measurements. Here I’m referring to Guiness, the XXL awards, and anyone else who tries to convince yuou that world records are important things

I mean, when was the last time you read a guiness book of world records? Can’t remember? That’s because most of their records are less than arbitrary, like having the world’s largest drum set, or selling the world’s largest hot dog. In fact, you can make up your own record and then set it yourself. No joke.

So while you are thinking of a way to ink your name into global tablets of abitrariness, here’s my suggestion. Forget about height, and wave shape and silly dick-measuring awards, and just appreciate a great athlete riding a truly apocalyptic lump of atlantic ocean. There is no number high enough to put on a moment like that.

Footage Courtesy of:

www.heliovalentim.com

www.surfportugal.pt

Carlos Burle Surfs Record Breaking Wave, Nazaré | EpicTV Surf Report, Ep. 80

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