Surfer Tackles 80-Foot Wave That Could Break a World Record

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By Stan Schroeder2014-02-04 18:16:35 UTC

Andrew Cotton, a 34-year-old surfer from England, took on one of the biggest waves of all time on Sunday despite harsh weather conditions in Portugal. When the crest of the 80-foot wave caught up with him, he tumbled, disappearing beneath the water's surface for a brief moment.

Cotton told the BBC his fall was "pretty bad" and described the windy conditions as "bordering on unsurfable." He was wearing an inflatable vest which shot him up to the surface of the water.

See also: Biggest Wave Ever? Surfer Rides Gigantic Swell

Cotton qualifies for the Ride of the Year category in the 2014 Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards. The judges of the event will decide in March whether he managed to break the world record for surfing the biggest wave, a title currently held by Garrett McNamara, who surfed a 78-foot wave in Nazaré.

Praia do Norte in Nazaré, Portugal, where Cotton rode the 80-foot wave, was the same place that a surfer named Carlos Burle caught an estimated 100-foot wave in October 2013. However, Guinness has not officially confirmed that ride as record-setting, so McNamara still holds the No. 1 spot — for now.

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Topics: Andrew Cotton, big wave, portugal, Surfer, Videos, Watercooler, World

Image: AP Photo/Miguel Barreira/Associated Press