Maya Gabeira is the best big wave surfer in the world
- Written by Portal Editor
Her record is 22.4 meters, which she set in 2020 off the coast of Nazaré, Portugal. This is where the path that had been the goal since 2013 "ended".
Nazaré is located on the Portuguese Atlantic coast, about 120 kilometers north of the capital Lisbon. The surf spot is located north of the town on a rocky outcrop, below the São Miguel Acanjo fortress. The wave breaks a few hundred meters off the Praia do Norte beach in the open Atlantic.
Maya and the Wave - The International Ocean Film Tour presents the exclusive German premiere
The unusual height of the wave breaking here has several causes. Off the coast is the Nazaré Canyon, a sea gorge over 230 kilometers long with a depth of up to 5000 meters. The end of this underwater canyon is immediately off the coast of Nazaré, which results in large differences in water depth in a small area. Furthermore, under appropriate conditions, a water current is directed along the beach at the rocky outcrop into the sea, causing the wave to grow even larger. Provided there is sufficient swell, the waves can then break at a height of more than 20 m.
It was precisely at this spot that Maya Gabeira had a serious fall during her first world record attempt in 2013, floated lifeless in the water, was resuscitated and, after several operations and a lengthy rehabilitation, was confronted above all with the sexism of the scene. She does not want to accept a fall as proof that women cannot surf such waves. The film is an impressive portrait of a woman who was not deterred by her injuries or social prejudices. Her fight against waves, sexism and, not least, her own fear could not be more impressive and inspiring.
Some details in the life of Maya Gabeira
Maya Gabeira is a Brazilian professional surfer who is now one of the best big wave surfers in the world. Maya Gabeira's father is Fernando Gabeira, a founding member of the Brazilian Green Party Partido Verde and a former member of a guerrilla group.
In 2009, Gabeira, who only started surfing at age 14, won the ESPY Award for Best Female Action Sports Athlete. Maya Gabeira has also won the Billabong XXL Award for Girls Best Overall Performance five times in a row. That same year, she rode a 46-foot (14-meter) wave in Dungeons, South Africa, the highest wave ever surfed by a woman.
On January 13, 2018, Gabeira rode a 68-foot (20.72-meter) wave at the same location, setting another record for the highest wave ever surfed by a woman, earning her an entry in the Guinness Book of Records.
On February 11, 2020, she surfed a 73.5-foot (22.40-meter) high wave, beating her previous world record.
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ABOUT MOVING ADVENTURES
Moving Adventures Medien GmbH was founded in 2001 and specializes in the conception, organization and marketing of film tours in the areas of outdoor, sports, nature and adventure. The most well-known formats of the entertainment company based in Munich are the European Outdoor Film Tour and the International Ocean Film Tour. In addition to the two in-house productions, Moving Adventures is a licensee of the Banff Mountain Film Festival, Reel Rock and Green Screen. The company's portfolio also includes the digital ticket platform Outdoor Ticket and the streaming portal Outdoor Cinema. The team around the two founders Joachim Hellinger and Thomas Witt has 45 employees and is supplemented by five "On the Road" teams with around 70 people.
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