On a turbulent day 18 months ago Sebastian Steudtner took his surfboard out into the infamous swells off Portugal and caught a wave so monstrous he and many others believed it to be the biggest ever ridden.
Last week, it was confirmed by Guinness World Records and the World Surf League, which recorded the wave off the renowned Praia do Norte in Nazare in October 2020 at 86 feet (26.2 metres), 6ft higher than the previous record set off the same beach.
The German surfer, 37, said he knew it at the time, saying he told himself: “Get me this wave now,” and hung on for dear life as he accelerated into its path.