His epic ride, which required him to be towed into the wave from a jetski, beats a record set by Mike Parsons at Cortes Bank in southern California, in 2008 by over a foot.

Garrett, a professional big wave surfer for the Body Glove International team, is part of an elite group that travels the world chasing storms and tracking swells in an effort to surf the largest waves.

In the past he has ridden breaks such as Waimea in Oahu, Mavericks in California and Todos Santos in Mexico.

Describing the record breaking wave ride, Garrett said: “It’s the most challenging, dangerous wave I’ve ever surfed – it’s the only place in the world in which a giant canyon reaches all the way to the beach”.

Among those to congratulate Garrett on his achievement was Jorge Barroso, mayor of the town of Nazaré, who commended the daredevil surfer with a tribute at last week’s 2012 Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Award awards ceremony in Anaheim, California.

The mayor said: “It is an honour to bring this title to our waters.. For the strength, bravery and the constant will to improve. Nazaré is a bit like your second home and our population admires you.”

The record for largest wave surfed (paddle-in) remains held by Shane Dorian, who managed  to successfully ride a wave measured at measured 57ft (17.4 m) in height without a tow at a break known as ‘Jaws’ off the coast of Maui, Hawaii, USA in March last year.

Credits: http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2012/5/video-78-foot-wave-surfed-by-garrett-mcnamara-confirmed-as-largest-ever-ridden-41598/

“Anything great in my life has been by mistake.”
Nate Fletcher just won the $50,000 Sony Xperia Ride of the Year and the $5,000 Monster Tube and the $5,000 Surfline Best Performance Award for his death-defying Teahupoo bomb. After a couple photo ops, he quickly shuffles backstage to sneak a smoke with Bruce and Makua and posse and is taking a moment to reflect on the crazy wave and what’s about to turn into a crazy night.

“If I go in over prepared and overthink shit, I’ll psyche myself right out of it.”

He pauses.

“If I go and I’m accidently in the spot by luck or fate, then that’s just how I go. A lot of times it probably doesn’t work as well, but that time it just had to happen, I guess. That was for Sion and Andy.”

Nathan’s dad Herbie laughs when we ask how Nate prepares. “Preparation? Nathan? He doesn’t do it,” Herb explains. “I told him before he went down there to buy a new life-vest, after a while they fray. So what does he do? ‘Dad, I bought a new life-vest’ – and then gives it away and uses his old one.”

Approximately a hundred gnarly, giant, crazy waves are shown on the big screen tonight. All get some form of groan, laughter, applause or all three. But Nathan’s wave…over and over and over again, no matter how many times it’s seen, elicits the most response. “How did he survive? How is his head still attached to his shoulders?” asks more than one person. It’s impossible to look away, no matter the inevitable weightless, fall-into-oblivion outcome.

Garrett McNamara is the other big winner tonight, taking home the Biggest Wave Award for his 78-foot A-Frame in Portugal. This is also a world record, beating Snips’ 77-foot Cortes monster in 2008.

“It’s amazing we get to do what we do, I am so grateful,” he says onstage. The world record doesn’t mean as much to me — this is for the town of Nazaré and Portugal and for all my family and friends there. To be able to give them something to be proud of and inspire them, a world record for this town doing it tough in the middle of nowhere is great,” said McNamara.

Ironically, McNamara also snagged the Verizon Wipeout of the Year for his near-elegant caught-in-the-lip on a monster at Jaws. “Martin Potter once said ‘if you can’t have a great ride might as well have a good wipeout.’” Garrett laughs. “I guess I’m good at wiping out.”

North Shore lifeguard/hellman Dave Wassel secured the Monster Paddle Award for his 53-footer at Jaws. “For me this is like a lifetime achievement award,” he smiles. “I’ve been using my arms since the day I was born and I’m very, very proud. I’m extremely honored, especially considering the mountain of people who strive for this award. To me it makes this the most prestigious award. Jetskis have their place, but the bottom line is I’ll grab a rope if I have to when I’m 40, but I’m not there yet. I’m just using what God gave me.”

Brazilian charger Maya Gabeira won her fifth overall Girls Best Performance Award in Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Award history. Gabeira won four consecutive awards between 2007 and 2010.

“It’s special this year. This has been the best year ever in women’s surfing. I am very honored to win this award because the sport has evolved so much. I have been coming here for six years now and usually there are one or two standouts. This time the level is so much higher with all five nominees being solid entries,” said Gabeira.

Stay tuned for a full report on the state of women’s big-wave surfing as well as Surfline’s first annual big-wave roundtable which went down earlier today.

2012 BILLABONG XXL BIG WAVE AWARDS RESULTS

SONY XPERIA RIDE OF THE YEAR AWARD?WINNER:
Nathan Fletcher (San Juan Capistrano, California, USA) at Teahupoo, Tahiti on August 27, 2011. ($50,000) – Video by Simon Saffigna ($5,000)
SECOND PLACE: Ryan Hipwood (Gold Coast, Australia) at Cloudbreak, Fiji on July 12, 2011. ($5,000)
THIRD PLACE: Greg Long (San Clemente, California, USA) at Puerto Escondido, Mexico on May 19, 2011. ($1,500)
FOURTH PLACE: Jeff Rowley (Torquay, Victoria, Australia) at Jaws, Maui, Hawaii on January 30, 2012. ($1,500)
FIFTH PLACE: Garrett McNamara (Haleiwa, Hawaii, USA) at Praia do Norte, Nazaré, Portugal on November 1, 2011. ($1,500)

MONSTER PADDLE AWARD?Dave Wassel (Kaneohe, Hawaii, USA) at Jaws, Maui, Hawaii on January 4, 2012. ($15,000) – Photo by Mike Neal. ($4,000)

BILLABONG XXL BIGGEST WAVE AWARD – Garrett McNamara (Haleiwa, Hawaii, USA) at Priaia do Norte, Nazaré, Portugal on November 1, 2011. ($15,000) – Photo by Wilson Ribeiro. ($4,000)

MONSTER TUBE AWARD – (Surfer prize $5,000 – Still photography prize $2,000) ?Nathan Fletcher (San Juan Capistrano, California, USA) at Teahupoo, Tahiti on August 27, 2011. ($5,000) – Photo by Brian Bielmann. ($2,000)

SURFLINE BEST PERFORMANCE AWARD – Nathan Fletcher (San Juan Capistrano, California, USA) – $5,000

BILLABONG GIRLS BEST PERFORMANCE AWARD – Maya Gabeira (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) – $5,000

VERIZON WIPEOUT OF THE YEAR AWARD – Garrett McNamara (Haleiwa, Hawaii, USA) at Jaws, Maui, Hawaii on January 4, 2012. ($2,000) – Video by Elliot Leboe. ($1,000)

Credits: http://www.surfline.com/surf-news/nathan-fletcher,-garrett-mcnamara,-dave-wassel,-maya-gabeira-all-win-at-the-xxl-awards-1_70084

Photos by: JP Van Swae - http://espn.go.com/action/surfing/story/_/id/7890833/2012-billabong-xxl-results

Around the World by Daft Punk
I use that to focus, any time I want to shut the world out. I listened to it probably a million times when I was in Portugal. I was listening to it for a totally different wave that we haven’t documented yet, that we’re going to ride. I’ve seen it break, I know exactly what I’m going to do on it. I just visualize while I’m listening to that song.

Necta (Butterfly) by Sashamon
He’s just this little Kauai boy who cruises and strums around. All of a sudden, he went to a few parties on the North Shore, and he became a hit overnight. A bunch of guys used him in their surf movies. It still brings me back to Hawaii.

Banana Pancakes by Jack Johnson
He’s a friend—we grew up together, we used to have a holiday party at his house every year—so I overlook it sometimes. But I love his music. He’s a mellow, low-key, reserved kind of guy. We surfed together all the time; I may have had a heat with him at Pipeline. He got hurt at Pipe, that’s kind of when he threw in the towel.

Are You Experienced? by Jimi Hendrix
I got into [classic rock] for about a year. From then on, I was never really full-on, but whenever it comes on, I’m like “Yeah!” Cause classic rock will never die.

Till I Collapse by Eminem (feat. Nate Dogg)
I love working out to Eminem. If I go to the gym and I put the headphones on, I’m going to go a hundred and ten percent until I leave. It’s kind of controversial, but I like it.

Download the full, uncut playlist on iTunes.

Credits: http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/media/Athlete-Playlist-Surfer-Garrett-McNamara.html

“Everything that happens on the land trickles into the ocean, so you got to be conscious about everything you do,” he said.

McNamara is a surfer who recycles, cleans the beach, stays strong in his vegetarianism and even uses Raw Elements, an all-natural sunscreen that contains no chemicals. He makes sure nothing foreign comes into his home. It is a challenge, but it is what he does.

And, after over 30 years of surfing, the ocean gave something back to McNamara. In November, a 90-foot wave off the coast of Portugal allowed the 44-year-old to ride into the record books.

“I love riding big waves, it’s what I live for. It’s always so nice to find a new wave somewhere, something that you’ve never surfed or has maybe never been surfed. And then, it just makes it so exciting, so…”

McNamara struggles to find the words, but he smiles while he thinks about it. Then, finally…

“(It’s) maybe like finding new love or something.”

Every time McNamara and his board dip into the ocean, he can find that love. And when he can pass on that love, it is even more of a thrill.

He admits he is torn. He has been invited to Anaheim for the annual Billabong Awards and is nominated for three of them including Biggest Wave. But he may have had more fun Wednesday, re-enacting stories on the beach with middle schoolers from Lincoln and JAMS in Santa Monica.

McNamara was all smiles the entire morning, seeing newcomers find that love he has experienced time and time again.

“If you’re trying to impress somebody, a sponsor, or get an award or get a record, then you’re not doing it for the right reasons. You’re not doing it purely for the love of it and you’re not going where you wouldn’t normally go.

“When you challenge a wave, then you get smacked down.”

The rider who constantly seeks the next big wave admits he doesn’t get an adrenaline rush anymore in the ocean. Now, it’s just love… from both sides.
Credits: http://smmirror.com/articles/Sports/Record-Breaking-Surfer-Passes-Through-Santa-Monica/34565

“Garrett is one of the craziest big wave surfers exemplifying passion, talent and the mentality of risking it all. We are excited to have an all around waterman with such a great personality on our team,” said Billy Meistrell, Body Glove International, Vice President.

Read on for more info on McNamara:

Redondo Beach, California – McNamara is most famously known for breaking the world record for largest wave ever ridden, when he was towed into a 90 ft wave in Portugal, at the North Canyon. He also won the Tow-in World Cup at Jaws along with partner Rodrigo Resende.

“Mainly, I need wetsuits that I can trust. Most of the situations I get into…my life is on the line. They can’t be blowing out or falling apart during a massive wipeout. I also need personal flotation devices for a lot of situations. We can collaborate on ideas and create superior impact vests and suits. After meeting and getting to know everybody, they’re all really good people and it’s going to be fun. It’s all about having fun and doing what you love,” states Garrett McNamara

This year has been an incredible year for Garrett. He has been nominated for 2 awards in the 2012 Billabong XXL Awards including, “Ride of the Year” and “Biggest Wave.” Here are some highlights of his performance over the last several months.

For more information on Garrett McNamara and other Body Glove athletes and products go to www.bodyglove.com and for daily updates visit www.facebook.com/bodyglove

credits: http://business.transworld.net/94369/news/garret-mcnamara-signs-on-with-body-glove/

The 12 months leading up to the end of the annual XXL cycle at the end of the Northern Hemisphere spring on March 19 have been widely regarded as the most spectacular ever seen in the sport of big wave riding. “Biggest-ever” swells were conquered atsurf breaks in locations ranging from Tahiti to Ireland and from Tasmania to Portugal along with “just plain huge” days in Mexico, Fiji, California and Hawaii. When whittled down to the top five nominees in each of the XXL’s seven divisions, every category is filled with breathtaking moments, all worthy of being named an XXL champion and each with a shot at a share of the $120,000 in prize money at stake. To view all the nominated rides, please see the event website at www.BillabongXXL.com.

The winners will be announced at the invitation-only Billabong XXL Big Wave Awards party at the Grove Theater in Anaheim, California on May 4, 2012. The show will be webcast that night on YouTube’s Newtork A, and will be broadcast as a one-hour program on FUEL TV on Sunday, May 20 at 3 P.M. PT. This year’s event marks the 12th-annual edition of the Billabong XXL Big Wave Awards, an event open to every qualified surfer at every break on every day of the year, so long as the action is captured by a video or still camera and submitted for judging by the XXL’s voting academy of expert surfers and lensmen. Over 1,000 images were entered into the event before being filtered down to the best five stills and single definitive video clip of each nominated ride.

In the all-important Billabong XXL Ride of the Year category, there are five very different waves in contention, all ridden in very different regions around the planet. In consideration for the $50,000 winner’s prize are a pair of Southern Californians: Nathan Fletcher for his earth-shattering barrel at Teahupoo, Tahiti and Greg Long for his paddle-in tube at Puerto Escondido, Mexico. Two Australians are also represented, including Ryan Hipwood for his long, spitting pipe of a wave at Cloudbreak,Fiji and upstart Jeff Rowley for a hair-raising late paddle drop and pocketride at Jaws on Maui (a spot generally believed to be a tow-surfing-only location prior to the last two winters). Rounding out the five is the lone Hawaiian, Garrett McNamara, for his plunge into a massive face off the coast of Portugal, a feat that earned the big wave veteran global headlines in November.

A video summary of all five Ride of the Year Nominees assembled into a singleclip may be viewed or embedded via this YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3lzKhlT8rI

The theme of recent years to push the envelope of what is possible in the realm of arm-powered surfing has continued unabated with another slate of stunning nominees in the highly-regarded Monster Paddle division. Earning spots as finalists for 2012 are: Santa Cruz’s Ken “Skindog” Collins at Maverick’s near San Francisco, California; Australian Jamie Mitchell at Todos Santos Island off Ensenada, Mexico; and Brazil’s Danilo Couto, Oahu’s Dave Wassel and Big Islander Shane Dorian all being recognized for man-handling huge, windy walls at Jaws, on the north shore of Maui. The five Monster Paddle rides may be reviewed on video by clicking HERE.

In the XXL Biggest Wave category (open to waves caught with jet skis or any other means), another five rides are being honored for maximum height — pure andsimple. McNamara is nominated once more for his Portugal ride, which will be compared to two dark and frigid late-season Irish giants ridden at Mullaghmore Head by local Ollie O’Flaherty and the UK’s Andrew Cotton. Adding to the European domination of the Biggest Wave division this year is a clean, green ride by Basque surfer Axi Muniain at Agiti, on the northern coast of Spain. Joining the four Euro Zone rides is a beautiful big blue bomb of a wave at Cow Bombie in Western Australia, precisely ridden from start to finish by W.A.’s own Damien “Taco” Warr. To view clips of the XXLfinalists, click this LINK.

Nominees have also been announced for the Monster Tube Award. All the surfers, photographers and videographers are listed below and all the nominated still and video images can be viewed at the event website at www.BillabongXXL.com. The nominees in the remaining categories will be announced on April 9, including Surfline Best Overall Performance Award (male), the Billabong Girls Best Performance Award (female) and the ever-popular Verizon Wipeout Award.

The nominees for 2012, in alphabetical order:

FIVE BILLABONG XXL RIDE OF THE YEAR AWARD NOMINEES
(Surfer prize $50,000 – Video prize $5,000)
Nathan Fletcher (San Juan Capistrano, California, USA) at Teahupoo, Tahiti on August 27, 2011.
(Video by Simon Saffigna.)
Ryan Hipwood (Gold Coast, Australia) at Cloudbreak, Fiji on July 12, 2011.
(Video by Nimai Strickland.)
Greg Long (San Clemente, California, USA) at Puerto Escondido, Mexico on May 19, 2011.
(Video by Alejandro Berger.)
Garrett McNamara (Haleiwa, Hawaii, USA) at Praia do Norte, Nazaré, Portugal on November 1, 2011.
(Video by Jorge Leal.)
Jeff Rowley (Torquay, Victoria, Australia) at Jaws, Maui, Hawaii on January 30, 2012.
(Video by Wangdu Hovey.)

FIVE MONSTER PADDLE AWARD NOMINEES
(Surfer prize $15,000 – Photo/video prize $4,000)
Ken “Skindog” Collins (Santa Cruz, California, USA) at Maverick’s, California on February 8, 2012.
(Photos by Robert Brown and Frank Quirarte. Video by The Go Big Project.)
Danilo Couto (Bahia, Brazil) at Jaws, Maui, Hawaii on January 4, 2012.
(Photo by Fred Pompermayer. Video by Greg Browning.)
Shane Dorian (Kona, Hawaii, USA) at Jaws, Hawaii, on January 4, 2012.
(Photos by Bidu, Tracy Kraft, Bruno Lemos, Jason Murray and Fred Pompermayer. Video by Elliot Leboe.)
Jamie Mitchell (Gold Coast, Australia) at Todos Santos, Mexico on January 6, 2012.
(Photo by Jason Murray. Video by Graham Nash.)
Dave Wassel (Haleiwa, Hawaii, USA) at Jaws, Maui, Hawaii on January 4, 2012.
(Photos by Eric Aeder, Frank Berthuot, Bruno Lemos, Mike Neal and Fred Pompermayer. Video by Bruno Lemos.)

FIVE BILLABONG XXL BIGGEST WAVE AWARD NOMINEES
(Surfer prize $15,000 – Photo/video prize $4,000)
Andrew Cotton (Croyde,Devon, United Kingdom) at Mullaghmore Head, Ireland on March 8, 2012.
(Photos by Andrew Kilfeather, Conn Osbourne and David Olsthoorn. Video by Jamie Russell.)
Garrett McNamara (Haleiwa, Hawaii, USA) at Priaia do Norte, Nazaré, Portugal on November 1, 2011.
(Photo by Wilson Ribeiro. Video by Jorge Leal.)
Axi Muniain (Zarautz, Basque Country) at Agiti, Spain on December 15, 2011.
(Photo by Eric Chauche. Video by Walter Lang.)
Ollie O’Flaherty (Lahinch, County Clare, Ireland) at Mullaghmore Head, Ireland on March 8, 2012.
(Photos by Christian McLeod and Matt Strathern. Video by Mark Waters.)
Damien “Taco” Warr (Yallingup, Western Australia) at Cow Bombie, Western Australia on October 16, 2011.
(Photo by Jamie Scott. Video by Rick Jakovich.)

FIVE MONSTER TUBE AWARD NOMINEES
(Surfer prize $5,000 – Still photography prize $2,000)
Kohl Christensen (Haleiwa, Hawaii, USA) at Cloudbreak, Fiji on July 12, 2011.
(Photos by Brian Bielmann and Bruno Lemos.)
Nathan Fletcher (San Juan Capistrano, California, USA) at Teahupoo, Tahiti on August 27, 2011.
(Photos by Brian Bielmann, Pete Frieden, Bruno Lemos, Tim McKenna and Benjamin Thouard.)
Tyler Hollmer-Cross (Hobart, Tasmania, Australia) at Shipstern Bluff, Tasmania on May 17, 2011.
(Photo by Andrew Chisholm.)
Bruce Irons (Hanalei,Hawaii, USA) at Teahupoo, Tahiti on August 27, 2011.
(Photos by Brian Bielmann, Tim McKenna, Fred Pompermayer, Pat Stacy and Benjamin Thouard.)
Everaldo “Pato” Teixeira (Florianopolis, Brazil) at Teahupoo, Tahiti on August 27, 2011.
(Photos by Tim McKenna, Fred Pompermayer and Benjamin Thouard.)

The Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards are fueled by MonsterEnergy. Verizon Wireless is the official communications provider and Surfline.com is the exclusive surf forecast of the XXL. Sony is the official electronics supporter and Contour the exclusive provider of point of view cameras. The event is sponsored by Surfing Magazine and Air Tahiti Nui airlines.

RIDE OF THE YEAR: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3lzKhlT8rI
MONSTER PADDLE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRTtFTYyIfk
XXL BIGGEST WAVE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KY4Zmnqx_GM

credits: http://www.surfline.com/surf-news/press-release/nominees-announced-in-2012-billabong-xxl-global-big-wave-awards_68505/

Altive Media and XDC Entertainment presents At The Very Last Moment in 3D

Renowned extreme sports director Thierry Donard’s At The Very Last Moment to be screened in 3D in the UK

Altive Media and XDC presents Thierry Donard’s extreme sports film At The Very Last Moment in heart-stopping 3D. On Tuesday 20th March, the film will be shown at its finest as the extraordinary action of At The Very Last Moment is shown up on the big screen for the first time at a range of UK destinations including London, Wales, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Birmingham, Milton Keynes and Edinburgh

Being screened in 3D through Altive Media and XDC, the alternative media solutions at the forefront of the evolution of entertainment, At The Very Last Moment showcases 10 years of amazing extreme sport moments from director Thierry Donard and Nuit de la Glisse.

Faced with a European winter without snow, Donard and his team braved the harsh conditions of Greenland, returning two years later with an astonishing record of their expedition. 10 years, 15 passports and 875 km of film later, At the Very Last Moment is now getting its cinematic release.

Transporting the audience from the past to the future and into a new 3D era of sport At the Very Last Moment begins with a retrospective look at footage that captures the boundaries between life and death, before moving on to showcase some of the world’s best free riders in 3D for the first time. Alongside the Greenland shoot, the film features extreme sporting moments from some of the best locations in world, including downhill mountain biking from the Lapierre Team in Chamonix, the inspired bike skills of YouTube sensation Danny MacAskill, street skateboarding in Annecy from Joris Brichet, wingsuting and speed riding through the Mont Blanc massif and big wave surfing from Garrett McNamara in Portugal.

Credits: http://singletrackworld.com/2012/03/altive-media-and-xdc-entertainment-presents-at-the-very-last-moment-in-3d/

Garrett tells TMZ, the suit was enhanced with a special oxygen pocket developed by Camelback — the water canteen company — designed to hold a small oxygen reserve in the suit’s lining, allowing McNamara to breathe oxygen underwater through a straw.

According to Garrett, the suit would give him several extra minutes of survival in case a massive wave buries him below the surface — and in those situations, minutes can save a life.

McNamara tells us, he’s currently looking to break his 90-foot wave record with the new suit — hunting down a 120-footer in Nazare, Portugal … where the biggest waves in the world break.

McNamara says he uses military-grade wave-tracking technology to follow the swells — the same tech used by the Navy.

He even has a private jet at his disposal — to make the 5-hour flight from Miami to Nazare at a moment’s notice.

We asked McNamara how he knows he’ll survive — he simply replied, “I don’t.”

Credits:
Read More @:
http://www.tmz.com/2012/01/30/garrett-mcnamara-big-wave-wetsuit/#.TycbOlxSQ2A
http://www.webpronews.com/garrett-mcnamara-i-have-underwater-superpowers-2012-01

The best big wave surfers in the world invaded the Hawaiian Islands for an historical day of surfing, as a brutal Pacific swell headed to the archipelago.

Jaws, the infamous Peahi peak, looked like a Hollywood movie set, ready for action. Cameras, surf photographers, videographers and helicopters. The rule was simple: it was huge and no tow-in surfing.

There were 50-foot wave bombs coming in, great rides and spectacular wipe-outs. The young guns were testing their fears and the most experienced big wave surfers tried to keep the leading posture.

In Jaws, it was crazy, but Waimea Bay also sent reports of massive waves and crowded surf peaks. Big names in world surfing were riding multiple peaks, while it lasted. Outer reefs and other exposed Hawaiian surf spots were explored by the local and international surf crew.

The XXL wave moments were insane and dangerous. Watch the best moments of the historic Jaws paddle in session:

Credits: http://www.surfertoday.com/surfing/6699-jaws-sees-paddle-in-surf-madness