Michelle Des Bouillons Aims for the Women's World Record at Nazaré
On December 13, 2025, at Nazaré, Portugal, Michelle Des Bouillons rode a wave her team estimates at 24.99 meters, or about 82 feet. The measurement comes from an independent technical report commissioned by the surfer herself. She was towed in on a jet ski by her partner, Brazilian surfer Ian Cosenza.
The report was prepared by Paulo Vinicius Lopes, who had already analyzed Rodrigo Koxa's record wave in 2017. He worked frame by frame, using the surfer's body proportions to estimate the height.
The current women's record has belonged to Maya Gabeira since 2020, at 22.4 meters (73.5 feet), also set at Nazaré. If the 24.99 meters were ratified, the margin would be clear, but for now Guinness World Records still recognizes Maya Gabeira.
In September, Michelle Des Bouillons also won the women's category for biggest wave at the Big Wave Challenge, at a ceremony in Newport Beach, California. It was already her prize from 2024, and she was a finalist for the third year in a row.
Her team is preparing a file for Guinness: the technical study, footage shot from more than three angles, letters of support from big-wave surfing figures, and legal help. She says she first wants to understand the steps and the criteria, and she sees this recognition as symbolically important for women's big-wave surfing. I am curious to see how it unfolds.
Source: Surf Session
The report was prepared by Paulo Vinicius Lopes, who had already analyzed Rodrigo Koxa's record wave in 2017. He worked frame by frame, using the surfer's body proportions to estimate the height.
The current women's record has belonged to Maya Gabeira since 2020, at 22.4 meters (73.5 feet), also set at Nazaré. If the 24.99 meters were ratified, the margin would be clear, but for now Guinness World Records still recognizes Maya Gabeira.
In September, Michelle Des Bouillons also won the women's category for biggest wave at the Big Wave Challenge, at a ceremony in Newport Beach, California. It was already her prize from 2024, and she was a finalist for the third year in a row.
Her team is preparing a file for Guinness: the technical study, footage shot from more than three angles, letters of support from big-wave surfing figures, and legal help. She says she first wants to understand the steps and the criteria, and she sees this recognition as symbolically important for women's big-wave surfing. I am curious to see how it unfolds.
Source: Surf Session
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