Brazilian Surfer Sets New World Record With 80-Foot Wave Ride in Portugal

When Brazilian surfer Rodrigo Koxa flawlessly rode a massive wave in Nazare, Portugal on November 8, 2017, he knew it was the biggest one of his life, thus far. What the 38-year-old was unaware of, however, is that his thrilling descent down the monstrous surge, would set a new Guinness World Record for the largest wave ever surfed.

What makes the achievement even more remarkable is that in 2014, Koxa nearly lost his life while attempting to ride a big wave in Portugal. When accepting the honor, the emotional athlete said, "I've tried to surf big waves all my life and I had a huge experience in 2014 where I almost died at Nazaré. Four months later, I had bad dreams, I didn’t travel, I got scared, and my wife helped me psychologically.