British surfer Tom Butler may have ridden a 100-foot wave at Praia do Norte in Nazaré, Portugal.
On December 14, the athlete from Cornwall ran away from a raging bull that was estimated at 100 feet by several independent sources.
"It was one to tell the grandkids about," Butler stated. The 29-year-old big wave surfer from Newquay is confident that he may have ridden a wave in the 90-to-100-foot range.
"Christmas came early for me. I'm beyond stoked and grateful to be in the correct spot for this wave in Nazaré. A massive thank you to Sebastian Steudtner for driving me into this wave and providing me with the kit to be out there feeling as safe as possible," said Butler.
Tom has been training hard for the Nazaré winter season. This time, he caught the giant wall of water right underneath the peak and was able to draw a nice line and kick out safely and nearly dry.
"Thanks to Maya Gabeira for being our backup driver and smashing some waves herself, and to André Santos for calling out some of the waves on the radio."
Two years ago, in one of his first experiences at Praia do Norte, Butler wiped out and was sent to the hospital bed with a damaged lung, bruised ribs, a leg injury, and a split ear.
The final decision will be made in April 2019 when the World Surf League (WSL) Big Wave Awards announce the biggest and boldest rides of the year.
The current Guinness World Record for the largest wave ever surfed belongs to Rodrigo Koxa.
On November 8, 2017, The Brazilian caught and rode a wave measuring 80 feet (24.38 meters).
Nazaré currently holds three Guinness World Records: the biggest wave ever surfed (Rodrigo Koxa), the largest wave ever ridden by a woman (Maya Gabeira), and the biggest kitesurfing wave (Nuno "Stru" Figueiredo).