Santa Cruz surfer Alessandro "Alo" Slebir may have set a new world record for surfing the largest wave after riding a massive wave at Mavericks near Half Moon Bay on December 23. The wave is estimated to be 108 feet tall, which would surpass the current world record by over 20 feet.
“It wasn't like a decision of maybe we should go or not, like myself and my two partners, Luca Padua from Half Moon Bay, we knew right away we wanted it, said grab the rope and he towed me, and the rest is now we're here,” said Slebir.
Despite the media attention, Slebir remains focused on his passion for surfing, rather than the potential record. While he rode over 20 waves that day, one particular wave stood out as the highlight.
“You're going so fast on those surfboards, you're probably going 30, 40, 50 miles an hour and that wave was so tall that it was sucking so much water coming back at you that it was a weird feeling, feeling the friction of the water underneath the surfboard, I've never felt that on really any other wave that I've ever caught,” Slebir said.
The Guinness World Records and the World Surf League will determine if the wave qualifies for a record, a process that could take months.
“Like my dad's been out there for 30 years or whatever, and he says that's the biggest and craziest he's ever seen it, so that's saying a lot so I might not ever even get it again in my lifetime who knows,” said Mel.
Source: KSBW
