Biggest Wave Ever Surfed

The 10th edition of La Vaca Gigante is now history.

Twenty-four local and international surfers fought today in the imposing Cantabrian wave, surfing walls of more than 7 meters high, which crashed against the Cantabrian coast – an epic day of XXL surfing in Santander finally crowned Indar Unanue as champion, who ended up shaking the cowbell and raising the milk jug that accredits the winners of this prestigious competition.

The day dawned cloudy in Cueto, with almost no wind, and the silence was only broken by the sound of waves eagerly awaiting their turn to shine.

The tide was rising, and around noon La Vaca Gigante 2024 competition started with the trial round, a preview in which seven surfers competed to achieve the last place for the main event.

The action did not take long to start, with good waves and very powerful surfing, especially by the Frenchman Pierre Rollet, who, with 24.11 points, surpassed the rest and made a place for himself in the final phase of the event.

With the Main Event roster already complete,18 surfers, divided into three heats of 6 riders each, the fight for €10,000 in prize money got underway before an increasingly large audience arrived at the imposing cliffs looking forward to enjoying a great day of high voltage surfing.

The competition format consisted of 45-minute heats in which surfers would add their two best waves; the best of the two would also count double.

The first round highlighted local talent, with Nico García and Nano Riego taking the first and second places – 23.84 and 22.87 points, respectively – which gave them access to the grand final.

The participants of the second round entered the water immediately afterward, and the tables turned as this time it was the foreign surfers Indar Unanue and Nic Lamb who got the best waves of the heat, adding a score of 25.27 for the Basque and 25.39 for the Californian.

Finally, the third round featured local Juan Merodio and Frenchman Pierre Rollet.

Merodio achieved a perfect score of 10 on his best wave – 26.90 in the combined wave – and Rollet achieved the highest combined score of the qualifying rounds with 28.27 points.

With the final list of cowboys who would fight for this year’s title, around 10,000 people crowded the cliffs of Cueto expectantly to see what would decide the grand finale of La Vaca Gigante 2024.

With six finalists and an hour-long heat in a capricious sea, things wouldn’t be easy for the riders. Patience, talent, and wisdom would be the keys to the golden round of the championship.

The Cantabrians Nico García and Nano Riego – champion of the last edition – asserted their status as locals by being very active throughout the final, adding a combined score of over 20 points, putting them on the podium in third and second place, respectively.

The Frenchman Pierre Rollet, one of the most notable names of the day, rode a bomb that the judges scored with a 9.77.

However, he lacked a second wave that would have put him on the podium or even allowed him to challenge Indar Unanue, who was unbeatable in the final heat, for the victory.

Unanue scored two waves above 9 points –9.67 in the second wave and 9.93 in the third–to add a combined score of 29.53 out of 30 possible.

The numbers of the Basque surfer in this 10th edition of La Vaca Gigante are impressive. After a few years without participating in the competition, he finally won after finishing second three times before.

La Vaca Gigante 2024 | Results

1. Indar Unanue (EUK) – 29,53
2. Nano Riego (CAN) – 22,21
3. Nicolás García López (CAN) – 20,61
4. Pierre Rollet (FRA) – 19,54
5. Nic Lamb (USA) – 17,99
6. Juan Merodio Velasco (CAN) – 2,46

Best Cantabric Surfer: Nano Riego
Best Wipeout: Juan Merodio

Footage: La Vaca Gigante

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20′ XL surf during rainstorms around Lunada Bay.

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🚨 MUST-WATCH 🚨 Dive into the heart-pounding action of Nazaré’s latest big wave session! As the Nazaré season draws to a close, we were reminded never to blink – the ocean’s giants are always full of surprises. On February 18th, a few lucky surfers experienced what can only be described as a surfer’s dream: conquering Nazaré’s monstrous waves with an incredibly uncrowded lineup. This raw footage captures the essence of bravery, skill, and the sheer force of nature in one of the world’s most revered big wave spots.

💡 STAY TUNED 💡 Keep an eye on our channel for upcoming content! With the storm approaching, we’re on the edge of our seats, waiting to see what Mother Nature has in store. Will the next sessions outdo the already breathtaking waves of February 18th? There’s only one way to find out.

👇 SUBSCRIBE & HIT THE BELL 👇 to stay updated on all things Nazaré. From jaw-dropping sessions to behind-the-scenes looks at the surfers who dare to ride these giants, we’ve got you covered. You won’t want to miss what’s coming next!

📣 SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS 📣 Were you blown away by the uncrowded lineup and the massive waves? Do you think the upcoming storm will bring even bigger challenges? Let us know in the comments below!

📸 FOLLOW US 📸 for more exhilarating content and updates on the surf forecast. Get ready; as the storm approaches, we’re gearing up for what could be the most unforgettable sessions of the season. The adventure is just beginning, and you’re in the front row.

#NazaréBigWaves #SurfingNazaré #BigWaveSession #EpicSurf #SurfLife #ExtremeSports #NaturePower #SurfingLife #AdventureSports #WaveWarriors

🎥 André Florência

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Location: Nazaré, Portugal
Date: February 18th 2024

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Enjoyed fishing so much today! San Luis Obispo. 1:30-5:30pm. With Charlie Cote and Eric Brecheen. Beautiful weather and sunset. No wind. Surf-forecast predicted 500-300 wave energy but when we arrived it was much bigger than that. It was a little too big all day, then finally mellowed out in the evening. Eric had to leave before us so he didn’t make it down the beach with us. I walked further than I intended to. I combed miles of beach in one direction with a perch bait, but only got one tap. The waves were breaking really far out, and it dawned on me that I could not recall a single good day of good perch fishing when big waves were crashin that far out. But I found some beautiful agates, and saw dolphins playing in the waves. I felt I had walked far enough and it was time to turn around and re-fish the same stretch in reverse. Maybe some nice fish will move up the beach closer to high tide. I decided to give up on the perch bait and take my chances at some big game since surf was high. Maybe a striped bass or big perch would come through. Tied on the Battlestar 115, Green Sardine and started combing my way back. The surf was chasing me up and down the beach as I waded to whip my cast out as far as I could. After about 40 minutes BAMB! Suddenly my rod is bent over and jerking hard! Huge head shakes, distinctly a perch, but so much power! Then… my rod relaxed and I felt my Jerkbait wobbling again. My heart sunk into my chest and I started throwing a mini tantrum. I’m guessing it would have been my biggest perch of the year so far, but it came off half way in. Heart breaker! Completely disgruntled to lose such a big fish after 3 hours of no bites, I channeled my energy into the pursuit. It drove me to keep casting, even harder. Maybe 15 minutes later, SHAKE! SHAKE! SHAKE! So very heavy! That distinct fast shake of a perch again. This one feels just as big or bigger. It stops shaking and feels like dead weight, so I figure it might be foul hooks. I can’t even budge it in the current so I run down and up the beach, chasing it in the wash. Finally a big wave washes it up on to the sand. The bait was foul hooked in the back. Charlie exclaims “That is a huge perch! That might be the biggest I’ve seen.” It was a really thick female. I decided to release her with the hope that she will make babies for a few more years. After shooting some video I place her back in the water and feel great about it. We got back to casting. Soon after, I look up and Charlie’s rod is bent. He easily lands a beautiful 22” Striped Bass which will be his first for the smoker. After that I landed a 16” Jack Smelt. I thought it was another huge perch but it charged at me, just as Surf Smelt do, and then I saw it. Charlie said that might be the biggest smelt he’s ever seen. The sun was setting and the surf mellowed out. My back muscles felt totally worked but I just couldn’t stop casting. It was so beautiful and so satisfying, and it was about 45 minutes after high tide so I knew magic could happen any second. Maybe a big striper for my third species of the day? No more fish, but I finally walked off filled with contentment, just with the fishing experience. Sometimes it’s just the beauty of the sea and sky, and all the fresh air and exercise that is needed to feel totally pleased. We each caught a beautiful fish after all. Charlie shared a tip. He said he had
Experimented with standing further up the beach to avoid spooking stripers that may be coming into the shore break for sand crabs, so he was not casting out very far, and was fishing the water just on the other side of the lip, maybe 30 or 40 feet from the sand. It makes sense to me. I’d like to go back and try that. It kinda makes hunting stripers more fun if I think I can catch them by being stealthy. We then enjoyed the long walk across the wonderful wild landscape. Long hard walk. The best beaches always are.

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