Kite · Foil & Olympics
2017
A 19-metre wave at Nazaré
Nuno "Stru" Figueiredo kites a 62-foot wave at Nazaré, recognised by Guinness World Records as the largest wave ever kitesurfed.
Praia do Norte, Nazaré · Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
Praia do Norte at Nazaré in Portugal is known for giant waves; in 2016 a windsurfer had sailed them. On 8 November 2017 a kitesurfer rode one for a world record.
Nuno Figueiredo, known as Stru, rode a wave estimated at 62 feet, about 19 metres. Guinness World Records confirmed it as the largest wave ever kitesurfed; the news came out in October 2018, almost a year after the ride. Later articles sometimes date the record to 2018, the year it was recognised.
The record stood for more than five years. In January 2023 Patri McLaughlin rode a wave estimated at 72 feet at Jaws on Maui.