Big wave surfing is not for the feint of heart. That amount of water carries a hell of a lot of weight, and one slip up can lead to a terrible encounter with a wall of watery death. Garrett McNamara, a big wave surfer from Hawaii has just broken the world record for the biggest wave ever surfed.

The Hawaiian big wave rider caught the huge monster in Praia do Norte, Nazaré, Portugal, during the ZON North Canyon Project 2011. He was towed in by jet ski, caught this monster, let go, and surfed the wave until completion. What a vibe!

The wave caught by McNamara is estimated to be about 90 feet (30 meters), and is a new world record. To put that into perspective, 30 meters is about the height of an 8 storey building. This oke must have balls of steel.

[Source: YouTube, Hat tip to Steyn]