The 100-Foot Wave Chase: Surfers Who Dared To Conquer The Ocean's Impossible Peak

The 100-foot wave is no longer a mythical concept; it is a tangible, terrifying goal that the world's elite big wave surfers are now within striking distance of achieving. As of December 2025, the official Guinness World Record stands at 86 feet, but recent, highly-publicized claims—backed by new, cutting-edge technology—suggest that the 100-foot barrier has been breached or is just a few feet away, transforming the sport from a purely athletic endeavor into a high-stakes technological and scientific race. The epicenter of this pursuit remains Praia do Norte in Nazaré, Portugal, where the colossal waves generated by the deep-sea Nazaré Canyon provide the perfect, and most dangerous, canvas for history to be made. The current chase is defined by two major, pending claims that have ignited the big wave community, pushing the limits of human endurance and measurement science. German surfer Sebastian Steudtner is the man closest to the goal, having recently logged a ride measured at an astonishing 93.73 feet, while a separate study suggests Brazilian Vini Dos Santos may have already ridden a 97-foot monster. The verification process is complex and often takes years, but the sheer scale of these rides confirms that the dream of the century-foot wave is on the verge of becoming reality.

Sebastian Steudtner: The Kaiser of Nazaré and the 93.73-Foot Claim

Sebastian Steudtner is the undisputed king of the current big wave era, holding the current official world record and leading the charge toward the 100-foot mark. His dedication to the sport is matched by his commitment to technological innovation, which has become crucial for conquering and, more importantly, measuring these colossal waves.

• Full Name: Sebastian Steudtner
• Nationality: German / Austrian
• Date of Birth: May 4, 1985
• Hometown: Nuremberg, Germany (Moved to Hawaii at age 16)
• Current Guinness World Record: 86 feet (26.21 meters), set in Nazaré, Portugal, on October 29, 2020.
• 2024 Record Claim: 93.73 feet (28.57 meters), set in Nazaré, Portugal, on February 24, 2024.
• Key Achievements: Multiple XXL Biggest Wave Award winner (2010, 2015, 2021).
• Nickname: The Kaiser of Nazaré.

Steudtner’s journey began at 16 when he moved from Bavaria to Hawaii to pursue his dream of surfing giants. His career has been marked by a relentless pursuit of bigger waves, culminating in his 2020 record at Nazaré’s Praia do Norte.

The Technology Behind the 93.73-Foot Measurement

The claim for the new, near-100-foot record of 93.73 feet is unique because it is backed by a groundbreaking, high-precision measurement system developed in collaboration with Porsche Engineering. This partnership highlights how the chase for the 100-foot wave is as much about engineering as it is about surfing skill. The technology involves an advanced drone system equipped with GPS and sensor technology that tracks the surfer and the wave crest with centimeter-level accuracy. This method aims to eliminate the subjectivity and errors inherent in traditional photographic or video-based measurements, which have long plagued the verification of big wave records. The February 2024 ride, which was measured at 28.57 meters (93.73 feet), is currently awaiting official verification by Guinness World Records. This collaboration with Porsche has not only provided a new, potentially record-breaking measurement but has also led to the development of a highly specialized surfboard designed for speed and stability on the colossal waves of Nazaré.

The Other Contenders: Vini Dos Santos and the 97-Foot Shadow

While Sebastian Steudtner holds the official record and the most recent, high-tech claim, the conversation about the 100-foot wave is not complete without mentioning Vini Dos Santos. The Brazilian surfer is at the center of another major, albeit unofficial, claim that a 97-foot wave was ridden in 2022. A scientific study, presented at a conference in Spain, used a new methodology to analyze Dos Santos’s ride from February 25, 2022, at Nazaré. The researchers concluded that the wave was approximately 97 feet (or 29.5 meters), which would surpass both Steudtner's official 86-foot record and his 93.73-foot claim. The existence of two major, near-100-foot claims—one backed by a new drone system (Steudtner) and the other by a new scientific analysis (Dos Santos)—underscores the difficulty and controversy surrounding big wave measurement. It also confirms that the 100-foot wave is a real phenomenon that is actively being ridden.

The Pioneers and the Big Wave Entities

The current generation of surfers stands on the shoulders of legends who pioneered the techniques necessary to even contemplate a 100-foot wave. The entire pursuit is a convergence of human courage, specialized equipment, and a unique geological phenomenon.

The Pioneers of Tow-In Surfing

The ability to ride waves of this size is entirely dependent on tow-in surfing, a technique co-invented by Hawaiian waterman Laird Hamilton in the 1990s. Waves over 40 feet move too fast for a surfer to paddle into, making a jet ski essential to tow the surfer up to speed and drop them onto the wave face. Hamilton, a key figure in the documentary *100 Foot Wave*, remains an iconic figure in the pursuit of the ultimate wave. Another pivotal figure is Garrett McNamara, the American surfer who was instrumental in putting Nazaré on the map. Reports of a 100-foot wave breaking off the Portuguese coast lured McNamara and his team to the rugged coastline in the 2000s, turning the sleepy fishing village into the undisputed capital of big wave surfing.

The Geology and Geography of Nazaré

The reason these colossal waves—and the 100-foot wave dream—exist in Nazaré is due to a massive underwater chasm known as the Nazaré Canyon. This canyon is a geological anomaly that is 140 miles long and over 3 miles deep, running almost right up to the shore of Praia do Norte. As the deep-ocean swell travels across the Atlantic, the canyon acts like a funnel, dramatically increasing the wave's speed and height before it collides with the continental shelf and the opposing current near the harbor. This process creates the monstrous, towering peaks that the world’s elite surfers chase.

Key Entities and LSI Keywords in the 100-Foot Wave Pursuit

The story of the 100-foot wave is rich with specific entities and technical terms that define the sport:

• Praia do Norte: The specific beach in Nazaré where the giant waves break.
• Nazaré Canyon: The underwater geological feature responsible for magnifying the waves.
• Tow-In Surfing: The method using a jet ski to get the necessary speed to catch a giant wave.
• Guinness World Records: The official body that verifies and ratifies the largest wave surfed.
• XXL Biggest Wave Award: A prestigious award in big wave surfing, now part of the WSL Big Wave Awards.
• Rogue Waves: The term for waves that are significantly larger than the surrounding sea state, often used interchangeably with the largest big waves.
• Maya Gabeira: The Brazilian surfer who holds the Guinness World Record for the largest wave surfed by a woman (73.5 feet).
• Jet Ski Safety: The crucial element of rescue and safety in tow-in surfing, involving a driver (or 'skipper') and specialized safety vests.
• Porsche Engineering: The technology partner that developed the drone-based wave measurement system with Sebastian Steudtner.

The race to officially conquer the 100-foot wave is a testament to human ambition and the relentless power of the ocean. With two separate, highly credible claims nearing the century mark, the official announcement of the world's first 100-foot wave ride is not a question of *if*, but *when*.