Santa Monica - A monster wave off Portugal has produced a world record for a Brazilian surfer.
The World Surf League says Rodrigo Koxa has ridden the biggest wave ever surfed. At the group's Big Wave Awards in Santa Monica, California, on Saturday, it said its judges determined that a wave Koxa surfed at Naraze, Portugal, on November 8 was 80 feet (24.38 metres) high.
That overtook the previous record of 78 feet (23.77 metres) set by American Garrett McNamara in 2011.
The group says it awards "the surfer who, by any means available, catches the biggest wave of the year ... not only did Koxa win this year's honour, but he now holds the Guinness World Record for the biggest wave surfed."
Koxa described the award as "a dream come true."
"I try to surf big waves all my life and I had a huge experience in 2014 where I almost died at Nazare," Koxa told http://www.worldsurfleague.com.
"Four months later, I had bad dreams, I didn't travel, I got scared, and my wife helped me psychologically. Now, I'm just so happy and this is the best day of my life."
Andrew Cotton might be forgiven a few bad dreams after his spectacular wipeout at Nazaré on the same day as Koxa nailed his big ride.
The Englishman, who was left nursing 12 broken verterbrae in his back and is only now almost ready to get back into the water, was awarded the "Wipeout of the Year" at the ceremony.