Watch Jamie Mitchell Surf a 40-Foot Behemoth, Claim the WSL’s First Big Wave Title

Is that a man or an ant on that surfboard?

December 21, 2016 9:00 am

Nazaré, Portugal is one of those places where legends are born.

An oceanic canyon off the coast routinely produces the kind of swells that can only be described as epic; when pro surfer Garrett McNamara set a world record after dropping a 78-foot wave in 2013, he famously said, “If you take Jaws, Puerto Escondido and Waimea shorebreak and put them all on steroids … you get Nazaré.”

Adding to that history: a big wave surfer from Down Under named Jamie Mitchell, who just achieved greatness when he coasted down and then back up a nearly 40 foot wall of water, claiming the title at the first ever World Surf League Big Wave competition.

Congratulations @jamie_mitcho, winner of the 2016 #NazaréChallenge!! #DontCrackUnderPressure @tagheuer

A video posted by World Surf League (@wsl) on

And he told The Inertia he plans on going back for more.

He may want to rub the town’s equally legendary statue of the Virgin Mary beforehand.

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