Brazilian surfer Burle gets world attention when he achieves new heights

Warning: this video is not for the faint of heart. What you’re about to see is Brazil’s Carlos Burle ride along what may very well be a new world record wave.

The ride happened this past week, and so it’s still a bit too early to tell the exact height of the wave just yet. Early estimates have it pinned as a 78-foot’er, and if that’s the case, Burle just rode himself into the record books.

For those curious, this monster surge took place off the coast of Nazare, Portugal, in a spot known for regularly serving up big wave after big wave after big wave. The timing of Burle catching the ride of his life is worth noting: it was to the end of a long day that saw the Brazilian boarder save his tow partner from a near drowning incident. He was simply out there to wrap up the day when this behemoth wave was bestowed upon him.

“After rescuing Maya and getting her off to the hospital I went back out,” said Burle in a phone interview. “The wind had come up and it was getting pretty bumpy and ugly, but I knew there would be a window. All I wanted was one wave, for some reason I felt like I had earned it.”

While riding the wave though, his thoughts were on his towing partner, though.

“I was just thinking of her the whole time,” Burle continued. “Things could have been a lot different, but when I knew she was going to be okay I felt like it was important to go back out and try to catch at least one wave.”

In terms of what this means for Burle moving forward, he’ll likely earn some nominations at the Billabong XXL Awards (if he participates). He may also end up with a world record tied to his name after it’s properly measured by Guinness.

“Anybody could have ridden that wave, I was just lucky to be in the right place at the right time,” said Burle. “The most important part about surfing is that you go out with your friends and you come back with them. Everything else is just extra.”

Video of Burle riding the 78-foot wave below:

Continue reading →