Rodrigo Koxa rode a 24.38-metre wave at Nazaré in 2017, earning a Guinness World Record at the time.
Koxa, a Brazilian big-wave surfer, caught the wave at Praia do Norte in Nazaré, Portugal. Nazaré is famous for unusually large waves generated by an underwater canyon that reaches toward the coast and helps focus wave energy. The break became a major destination for tow-in and big-wave surfing.
The record was recognized at the 2018 World Surf League Big Wave Awards and was based on a ride from November 2017. Height records depend on photographic and scientific analysis, so they can be revised when later rides are measured with improved evidence.
This fact is often confused with later Nazaré records. German surfer Sebastian Steudtner was credited with a larger officially recognized wave from 2020, while Maya Gabeira set a women’s record at the same Portuguese break. Koxa’s 24.38-metre ride remains a landmark in big-wave history.