Sebastian Steudtner (born 4 May 1985) is an Austrian-German surfer. [1] [2] [3]
At the age of sixteen, Steudtner moved to Hawaii from Nuremberg, his hometown. [4]
Steud web|url=https://archive.today/20230430181907/https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/how-surfing-sensation-sebastian-steudtner-22265175%7Ctitle=How surfing sensation Sebastian Steudtner played big role in Liverpool title triumph}}</ref> [5] [6] [7]
In 2020, in Nazaré, Portugal, he surfed an 26.21m tall wave, the tallest wave ever surfed. [8]
In 2024, he surfed a wave measured at 28.57m at the same location. If officially ratified, it would surpass his own world record of the tallest wave ever surfed. [9]
Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer, uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suitable for surfing are primarily found on ocean shores, but can also be found as standing waves in the open ocean, in lakes, in rivers in the form of a tidal bore, or wave pools.
Big wave surfing is a discipline within surfing in which experienced surfers paddle into, or are towed into, waves which are at least 20 feet high, on surf boards known as "guns" or towboards. Sizes of the board needed to successfully surf these waves vary by the size of the wave as well as the technique the surfer uses to reach the wave. A larger, longer board allows a rider to paddle fast enough to catch the wave and has the advantage of being more stable, but it also limits maneuverability and surfing speed.
Tow-in surfing is a surfing technique which uses artificial assistance to allow the surfer to catch faster-moving waves than was traditionally possible when paddling by hand. Tow-in surfing was invented by surfers who wanted to catch big waves and break the 30 ft (9 m) barrier. It has been one of the biggest breakthroughs in surfing history.
Nazaré is a Portuguese town and municipality located in the Oeste region, in the historical province of Estremadura, and in the Leiria District. The municipality has a population of 14,889 in an area of 82.43 km2, while the town itself has around 10,000 inhabitants.
River surfing is the sport of surfing either standing waves, tidal bores or upstream waves in rivers. Claims for its origins include a 1955 ride of 2.4 km (1.5 mi) along the tidal bore of the River Severn.
Mike Parsons is an American professional surfer and surfing coach.
The Nazaré Canyon is a submarine canyon just off the coast of Nazaré, portuguese Oeste region, in the eastern North Atlantic Ocean. It is the largest submarine canyon in Europe, reaching depths of about 5,000 metres (16,000 ft) deep and a length of about 230 kilometres (140 mi).
Jürgen Norbert Klopp is a German football executive and former manager and player who most recently managed Premier League club Liverpool. He is widely regarded as one of the best football managers in the world. Since 1 January 2025, Klopp has been the Head of Global Soccer for Red Bull GmbH.
Maya Reis Gabeira is a Brazilian big wave surfer. She surfed a 22.4 m (73 ft) high wave in Nazaré, Portugal in February 2020, recorded by Guinness World Records as the biggest wave ever surfed by a woman. She also held the previous record for biggest wave ever surfed by a woman, of 20.8 m (68 ft) established in January 2018.
Teahupoʻo is a village on the southeastern coast of the island of Tahiti in French Polynesia, France, in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is known for the large, consistent surf that occurs off its shore, and resulting international surfing competitions.
Željko Buvač is a Bosnian football manager and former professional player who is currently the sporting director of Dynamo Moscow. He is the former assistant manager of Premier League club Liverpool, a role he took in 2015 but left in April 2018.
Garrett "GMAC" McNamara is an American professional big wave surfer best known for setting the world record for largest wave ever surfed, as documented in the HBO series 100 Foot Wave. McNamara is also known for successfully negotiating a monstrous barrel at Jaws and being the first person to ride a wave formed from calving glaciers.
Gabriel Medina Pinto Ferreira is a Brazilian professional surfer. He won the 2014, 2018 and 2021 WSL World Championships. In two appearances at the Olympic surfing tournament, Medina won a bronze medal at the 2024 Olympic Games.
Will Skudin is a native of Long Beach, NY and a professional surfer. Skudin is a third-generation surfer and along with his brother, Cliff, is the co-founder of Skudin Surf and Surf for All, a nonprofit organization.
Justine Dupont is a French professional surfer.
Praia do Norte is a beach located in Nazaré, portuguese Oeste region, which due to its giant white breaking waves is famed for its surfing conditions. Nazaré's waves were listed on the Guinness Book of Records for the biggest waves ever surfed and have also been featured multiple times on the Billabong XXL awards in the categories of Biggest Wave and Ride of the Year.
Rodrigo Augusto do Espírito Santo , known as Rodrigo Koxa, is a Brazilian professional big wave surfer and extreme waterman who broke the world record for largest wave ever surfed at Nazaré, Portugal, on November 8, 2017.
Nic von Rupp is a professional surfer from Portugal, who specializes in big wave riding. In November 2020, von Rupp reportedly surfed some of the biggest waves ever ridden at Nazaré Beach in the Costa de Prata region of Central Western Portugal.
Maya and the Wave is an American documentary film, directed by Stephanie Johnes and released in 2024. The film is a portrait of surfer Maya Gabeira and her struggles to be taken seriously as a woman in a male-dominated sport, focusing in part on the role that sexism played in the response to her injuries while trying to surf a giant wave at Praia do Norte in 2013.