A 23-year-old from Santa Cruz, California, may have just set a world record for riding the biggest wave ever surfed. Alessandro “Alo” Slebir caught the wave at Mavericks surf spot near Half Moon Bay, a popular surfing destination just south of San Francisco.
Should the measurements hold up, Slebir’s wave is estimated to have been 108 feet tall. Sebastian Steudtner set the previous world record in Nazaré, Portugal back in 2022. Steudtner rode an 86-foot wave, an incredible ride you can watch here.
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If Slebir’s record holds up to scrutiny, he may have just shattered the old record, establishing a new highwater mark that may not be topped for a long time.
Slebir’s record, which was set on December 23, 2024, needs to hold up to scrutiny first. Steudtner’s previous world-record wave took 18 months of reviewing and measuring and analyzing before it was officially official. Slebir’s record could take just as long to confirm before it can be etched into the record books.
Slebir cut from the top to the bottom of the wave, entering a massive barrel and safely exiting. It was a ride so good, so smooth that it would look great even on a smaller wave. The fact that he did it on a potential world-record-setting monster of a wave is all the more impressive.
Slebir’s wave has already been included in discussions for the Big Wave Challenge, a yearlong surfing competition that documents the surfers who attempt to ride the biggest waves. The event’s organizer, Bill Sharp, says that while the initial estimate of 108 feet is a little generous, he’s certain the wave is well within world record territory. He’s also glad it was caught on video, as he described the wave’s barrel as “extraordinarily cartoonish.”
Slebir has been writing waves at Mavericks since he was 14. He doesn’t have any major sponsors, but after riding what might be one of the biggest waves ever captured on film, it’s safe to say he might get a couple of big names to toss some money his way.
