"I've tried to surf big waves all my life and I had a huge experience in 2014 where I almost died at Nazaré," Koxa said. "Four months later, I had bad dreams, I didn’t travel, I got scared, and my wife helped me psychologically.
"Now, I’m just so happy and this is the best day of my life. Thank you to WSL, it’s a dream come true."
The Quiksilver award goes to the surfer who, by any means possible, catches and rides the biggest wave of the year, and Koxa now has his Guinness World Records title to put alongside that.
How the largest wave record has increased
In the last few years the record for the Largest wave surfed (unlimited) has been creeping up. This is how the waves ridden have got bigger.
2004
On 10 January 2004, American Pete Cabrinha successfully surfed a wave with a face 21.3 m (70 ft) high at the break known as Jaws (Peahi) on the North Shore of Maui, Hawaii.
Cabrinha was towed into the wave using a wave runner and his successful ride earned him a Billabong XXL Award and $70,000.
2008
Four years later, fellow American Mike Parsons managed to beat that by riding a 23.4 m (77 ft) wave at Cortes Bank, an underwater mountain range located 160 km (100 miles) off the southern California coast.
His ride took place on 5 January 2008, mid-way through a storm passing over the area which generated giant swells and buoy readings of 25-30 m (80-100 ft). With the mountain peak rising 4,000 ft from the ocean floor to just below the surface, it can create ideal waves for surfers.
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