Beware big waves

I’ve posted a fair deal in the past regarding big wave surfing. It’s fascinating and newsworthy when someone risks their life to surf on something that is big enough to wipe out a small town. This much is obvious. But let’s face it – big wave surfing is for extreme daredevils, also known as nut jobs. I therefore warn all sane people, with the utmost respect: beware big waves.

Regular surfing is a sport that requires proper safety precautions, from the gentler waves of Florida to the bigger ones of Bali and Portugal. Leave the massive record breakers to those desperate thrill seekers like the pair who tried to smash Garrett McNamara’s big wave record last week at Nazaré in Portugal. True, they didn’t really beware big waves, they surfed them instead, risking their lives in the process.

But what of that other professional surfer who also did not sufficiently beware big waves at Nazaré and didn’t fare so well herself? True, she didn’t get as much media attention as fellow big wave daredevils Andrew Cotton and Carlos Burle, but she did get a fair amount of press for nearly getting killed. Big wave surfer Maya Gabeira was out on the same waves the same day as Cotton and Burle and wiped out before their record-breaking runs.

From the Sydney Morning Herald:

Brazilian surfer Maya Gabeira had to be resuscitated on the beach on Monday morning, local time, after she fell off her board as waves of up to 30 metres whipped up by St Jude’s storm pounded the Portuguese big wave spot of Praia do Norte in Nazaré.

In fact it was Burle who saved her, saying later that he’d never been so scared in all his life. Not too scared to go for the record though, eh Carlos?

Go to Surfer Today for more on the story including the video from Portuguese news of Gabeira’s wipe out and subsequent loss of consciousness. It’s pretty disturbing to watch and should teach us all to beware big waves – big time.

beware big waves

Maya Gabeira (center) with Carlos Burle (holding Brazilian Flag) Pic: Shawn Alladio
K38 Rescue

I’ve posted a fair deal in the past regarding big wave surfing. It’s fascinating and newsworthy when someone risks their life to surf on something that is big enough to wipe out a small town. This much is obvious. But let’s face it – big wave surfing is for extreme daredevils, also known as nut jobs. I therefore warn all sane people, with the utmost respect: beware big waves. Regular surfing is a sport that requires proper safety precautions, from the gentler waves of Florida to the bigger ones of Bali and Portugal. Leave the massive record breakers to those desperate thrill seekers like the pair who tried to smash Garrett McNamara’s big wave record last week at Nazaré in Portugal. True, they didn’t really beware big waves, they surfed them instead, risking their lives in the process. But what of that other professional surfer who also did not sufficiently beware big waves at Nazaré and didn’t fare so well herself? True, she didn’t get as much media attention as fellow big wave daredevils Andrew Cotton and Carlos Burle, but she did get a fair amount of press for nearly getting killed. Big wave surfer Maya Gabeira was out on the same waves the same day as Cotton and Burle and wiped out before their record-breaking runs. From the Sydney Morning Herald:

Brazilian surfer Maya Gabeira had to be resuscitated on the beach on Monday morning, local time, after she fell off her board as waves of up to 30 metres whipped up by St Jude’s storm pounded the Portuguese big wave spot of Praia do Norte in Nazaré.

In fact it was Burle who saved her, saying later that he’d never been so scared in all his life.. Not too scared to go for the record though, eh Carlos? Go to Surfer Today for more on the story including the video from Portuguese news of Gabeira’s wipe out and subsequent loss of consciousness. It’s pretty disturbing to watch and should teach us all to beware big waves – big time.

beware big waves

Maya Gabeira (center) with Carlos Burle (holding Brazilian Flag) Pic: Shawn Alladio
K38 Rescue

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