BIG WEDNESDAY & THE HUNT FOR THE MONSTERS OF NAZARÉ. For centuries the Monsters of Nazaré have been an immortal antagonist, sinister by nature and ravenous in appetite. Scores of Portuguese fisherman have met their peril at the hands of these omnipotent sea monsters; often to the horror of the fisherman’s wife who could witness from the shore. The Nazaré locals speak warily of these waves and the sea, as both the giver and taker of life. As legend has it divine intervention was only protection from the Monsters of Nazaré. In November 2011 American big wave surfer Garrett McNamara rode the largest wave in recorded history at 78 ft. The monster was slayed and a new era of big wave surfing was born.

Terrifying, surreal, and awe-inspiring, the monsters that arose from the deep on Big Wednesday (November 8th, 2017) were a life altering and historic experience. On that day two unique events occurred: the world record for largest wave was broken by Rodrigo Koxa, who surfed the largest wave in history at 80 ft. and British big wave surfer Andrew Cotton who broke his l2 vertebrate and later won the prestigious 2017/18 WSL WIPEOUT of the Year for a terrifying encounter with a 60 ft. Nazarè mountain. Cotton carved the face, lost a bit of momentum and he couldn't outrun the wall which landed on his head and sent him into orbit. Unfortunately he broke his l2 vertebrate on this wipeout but is recovering well and will come back stronger than ever. I recorded Cotton's wipeout from the base of the lighthouse at Forte de Sao Miguel with a 135mm.