Patri MacLaughlin, kitesurfing on the world's biggest wave.
Can you imagine riding a wave taller than a seven-story building? Well, that's what Patri MacLaughlin, the kitesurfer who broke the world record for the largest wave ever ridden with a kite, did. 🌊
Patri MacLaughlin is an extreme athlete who fears nothing. Not even the appendicitis that hospitalized him four weeks before facing the most challenging wave of his life. 💪
On January 22, 2023, Patri took to the water at Jaws, Maui, Hawaii, one of the world's most famous spots for its giant waves. There, with her kite and board, she managed to tame a monstrous wave that measured a whopping 22.01 meters high. 😱
But Patri didn't know it at the time. She had to wait a year for Guinness World Records to confirm via email that she had made history. She shared this on her Instagram account @patri_mclaughlin, where she shared stunning images of her feat, captured by photographers @slaterneborsky and @mauicartel. 📸
Patri MacLaughlin 2023 (22.01m)
Patri thus became the new world record holder for the largest wave ever surfed with a kite, surpassing the previous record held by Nunu Figueiredo, who surfed a 18.89-meter wave in Nazaré, Portugal, in 2017. 🏆 Guinness World Records, crediting the 41-year-old Portuguese surfer's wave as measuring 62 feet.
Nunu Figueiredo 2017 (18.89m)
"When I looked at the waves from the outside, I was scared, but once I got in the water, that fear vanished. You have to be completely focused on the wave because your life is hanging by a thread," Nuno 'Stru' Figueiredo confessed about the experience that led to his world kitesurfing record.
Patri said he was very proud of his achievement and that it was the biggest of his professional career. He also thanked everyone who had supported him in his dream of surfing the biggest waves on the planet. 🙌
And now, what will be the next biggest wave in kitesurfing? Bring on the next one 😂💦.
From SUELTALABARRA, congratulations to Patri MacLaughlin for her incredible record, and I hope she continues to enjoy kitesurfing and the adrenaline rush it provides. I also invite you to follow our blog, where you'll find more news, tips, and interesting facts about this exciting sport. 🤙
