Maya Gabeira

Maya Reis Gabeira (born April 10, 1987) is a Brazilian big wave surfer. She surfed a 22.4 m (73 ft) high wave in Nazaré, Portugal in February 2020, recorded by Guinness World Records as the biggest wave ever surfed by a woman.[1][2] She also held the previous record for biggest wave ever surfed by a woman, of 20.8 m (68 ft) established in January 2018.[3][4]

In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Reis and the second or paternal family name is Gabeira.
Maya Gabeira
Gabeira in Washington D.C in 2014
Personal information
BornMaya Reis Gabeira
(1987-04-10) April 10, 1987
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
ResidencePortugal
Height1.68 m (5.5 ft)
Weight56 kg (123 lb)
Surfing career
Major achievementsBillabong XXL Global Big Wave Award (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012)
ESPY Award (Best Female Action Sports Athlete (2009)
Teen Choice Awards 2010

Gabeira has received numerous accolades including the ESPY award for Best Female Action Sports Athlete and is the best female surfer in the world as well as one of the most influential female surfers of all time.[5][6][7]

Career

Gabeira started surfing at age 13 in Rio de Janeiro and started competing at 15 years old. In 2004 she decided to become a professional at 17 while living in Australia and moved to Hawaii that same year to surf world class waves.

She quickly emerged as the world's top female big-wave surfer, winning global championships surfing challenging spots like Mavericks, Waimea, Todos Santos, and South Africa's shark-infested "Dungeons".

She has won the Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards for four consecutive times (2007 to 2010) in the Best Female Performance category.

In 2008, she became the first woman to surf big waves in Alaska.[8] Gabeira also became the first woman to surf California's Ghost Trees and Tahiti's Teahupoo.[9]

In 2009, Gabeira won the ESPY award for Best Female Action Sports Athlete. Later that year, Gabeira surfed the biggest wave ever by a woman when she successfully rode a 14 m (46 ft) wave at Dungeons, a big-wave surf spot in South Africa.

In 2010, she got the 2010 Teen Choice Award for Best Female Action Sports Star.[10][11]

In 2012, she was awarded the XXL Big Wave Awards for Girls Best Overall Performance for the 5th time. She also appeared in the ESPN The Body Issue that same year.[12]

On October 28, 2013, Gabeira lost consciousness and nearly drowned while surfing a massive wave at Praia do Norte, Nazaré, Portugal; she was saved by her fellow Brazilian big-wave surfer Carlos Burle. She had to be revived on the beach and was taken to hospital.[13][14] In 2016 the documentary Return to Nazaré by Red Bull TV showed Gabeira's returned to Nazaré after the accident.[15]

In January 2018 Gabeira surfed a 20.8 m (68 ft) wave in Nazare, recorded by Guinness World Records as the biggest wave surfed by a woman.[3][4]

In February 11, 2020, Gabeira set a new Guinness World Record for the Largest wave surfed (unlimited) - female.[16][17] It was held in WSL Nazaré Tow Surfin contest and the wave measured 22.4 m (73.5 ft).[1][2] The wave was also the biggest wave surfed by anyone that year.[18]

She is the subject of the 2022 documentary film Maya and the Wave.[19]

In 2022, she was named UNESCO Champion for Ocean and Youth.[20]

Personal life

Gabeira is the daughter of Fernando Gabeira, one of the founding members of the Green Party of Brazil. Her father is the son of Lebanese immigrants.[21][22] Her mother, Yamê Reis, is a Brazilian fashion designer.

References
  1. "Brazilian surfer Maya Gabeira breaks own world record for largest wave surfed by a woman". 2020-09-10.
  2. "Brazilian surfer Maya Gabeira breaks largest wave surfed record". 2020-09-10.
  3. "Female surfer sets new world record". BBC News. Retrieved 2018-10-01.
  4. "68-ft wave surfed by Maya Gabeira confirmed as largest ridden by a woman as she receives two awards". Guinness World Records. 2018-10-01. Retrieved 2018-10-01.
  5. Holmes, Layne (2020). "The 10 Best Female Surfers in the World". Howtheyplay.
  6. Lazzeretti, Craig (2020). "Best Women Surfers in the World". Stadiumtalk.com.
  7. "The most influential female surfers of all time". Surfertoday.
  8. "Maya Gabeira é a primeira surfista a encarar Mar do Alasca". Revista Ragga
  9. "Maya Gabeira: 35 little-known facts about the Brazilian big wave surfer". Surfertoday.com.
  10. "Theextremescene.com". www.theextremescene.com.
  11. Transworld Surf Maya Gabeira Rides The Biggest Wave Ever By A Woman
  12. "Maya Gabeira ... naked". ESPN.com. 2012.
  13. Paul Hamilos, "Surfers in Portugal ride towering waves whipped up by storm", The Guardian, October 29, 2013.
  14. "Maya Gabeira gives thumbs up after near-drowning experience", Surfer Today, October 28, 2013.
  15. Lewis, Andrew (2016). "A new Red Bull TV documentary follows the Brazilian's two-year fight to return to Praia do Norte". Red Bull.
  16. "Guinness World Records". guinnessworldrecords.com. Retrieved 2020-09-10.
  17. "World Surf League". worldsurfleague.com. Retrieved 2020-09-10.
  18. "Biggest wave surfed in 2020? USC's Adam Fincham helps settle debate". USC News. December 3, 2020.
  19. Dan Lybarger, "Maya and the Wave". Film Threat, September 12, 2022.
  20. "UNESCO welcomes Brazilian surfer Maya Gabeira as Champion for the Ocean and Youth". UNESCO. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  21. Revista IstoÉ (8 December 2017). "istoe.com.br/um-homem-do-presente/". 2017-02-08. Retrieved 2019-02-24.
  22. Maalouf, Ramez Philippe (2007). "Review of Atlas du Liban: territoires et société, edited by Éric Verdeil, Ghaleb Faour and Sébastien Velut, french-lebanese edition by IFPO (Institut Français du Proche-Orient) and CNRS Liban (Conseil National de la Recherche Scientifique – Liban) Beirut, 2007". Confins. Revue Franco-Brésilienne de Géographie / Revista Franco-Brasilera de Geografia (4). Retrieved 2019-02-24.
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