Ride on monster wave puts surfer in record books
First a lot of patience, then a lot of courage: Laura Enever is fearless on her surfboard. This pays off off off Hawaii, where she rides a monster wave in free fall - earning her an entry in the record books. The 31-year-old calls it a "gift".
Laura Enever paddled out to sea, waiting on her board for hours, repeatedly dodging dangerous beasts of waves. Then Enever finally sensed the opportunity of a lifetime. "We were playing cat and mouse, so to speak," said the Australian. She picked up speed with a few paddle strokes, swung fearlessly onto her board - and let it happen.
Enever surfed - almost in free fall - on a 13.3 meter high monster wave into the depths. Videos show the masses of water crashing together and Enever disappearing into the white spray. Never before had a woman paddled into a wave this big and then surfed it.
"I knew it was a huge wave when it caught me," said Enever, who had previously been tipped off. On that day, January 22, a phenomenon that only occurs every ten years or so was supposed to happen on the Oahu Outer Reef off Hawaii. "When the wave came, I was in the perfect spot. It was such a gift," said the 31-year-old, who grew up in the north of Sydney and jumped into the sea with her brother and father as a small child.
Big-wave surfers often get pulled into the massive waves on jet skis, but Enever - who everyone just calls Lauzy - chose the riskier method of paddling in under her own steam. "At the end of the day, paddle surfing is all about yourself in the ocean and being out there," said Enever, who is also interested in art and fashion, "You don't have the support of a jet ski and all the speed and power to pull you into the wave. It's all about you and your knowledge of the ocean."
For months, a team of scientists and engineers had analyzed photos and videos to measure the wave - now the World Surf League confirmed the record. When her wild ride began, Enever knew immediately that this wave was something very special. "That's a long way down, that's the biggest wave you've ever caught," she said of her thoughts at the big moment, "I was so excited, there's just no better feeling."
Source: www.ntv.de
