Two Historic Rides By Big Wave Surfers – And They’re Women

The last two weeks have seen historic rides by two of the best big wave surfers in the world. Oh, and, by the way, they’re both women. 

First, Californian Jamilah Star (one of our 2007 Adventurers of the Year) went to Mexico in hopes of catching a monster and ended up at the famous Playa Zicatela on one of the biggest days of the year. It was there that she snagged what many are calling the biggest tube that a woman has ever paddled into.

Not to be outdone, Brazilian Maya Gabeira (pictured), who was just featured in our June/July issue, tracked a swell all the way to a spot called Dungeons, near Cape Town, South Africa. Battling currents, overzealous seals, and the ever-present threat of great white sharks, she was towed into what looks to be the biggest wave ever ridden by a woman. No one wants to start throwing around wave height numbers just yet, but you can check out the pictures at surfline.com and judge for yourself.—Tetsuhiko Endo

Photograph via www.mayagabeira.com.br