English big wave surfer Andrew Cotton survived what experts are calling one of the biggest waves ever.
The 34-year-old travelled to St Nazarre in Portugal over the weekend when he heard a massive storm was brewing off the cost, surviving the mammoth wave despite a scary fall.
Cotton had to be towed out with a jet ski to face the 24-metre monster by big wave world-record holder Garrett McNamara, who surfed an alleged 30-metre wave early last year.
“It was definitely bordering on unsurfable,” Cotton told BBC news.
“It was a very intimidating, bumpy and far from perfect session. But it was another key learning experience for surfing giant waves, which is really important for me at this point.”
Maybe most impressive about Cotton’s achievement was the fact he is still recovering from an ankle injury sustained chasing giants in Ireland in 2013.
A decision on the place of the wave’s position in the record books will be made by the Billabong XXL competition in March
Cotton was thought to have broken the world record in Nazarre late last year, but said this time round was a unique experience.
“To me, it felt like something I’ve never even seen before,” he told the Mail Online.
“It is exciting to think that this is a wave surfers wouldn’t have dreamed of surfing ten years ago. What will it be like in another ten?
“I thought I’d reached the biggest three months ago – I never thought it beat that so soon.”
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