Sebastian Steudtner wants to go higher, much, much higher. A goal that sounds utopian at first. The German big wave surfer, who found his sporting hotspot in the Portuguese fishing village of Nazaré, already holds the world record. The breaker he conquered on October 29, 2020 at Praia do Norte, the dreaded northern beach of Nazaré, was 26.21 meters high. This ride has brought him to his limits – and to the realization that more would hardly be possible with the given possibilities.
In order to master even higher waves, he would have to change something fundamental: the technology. The board would have to be faster, at speeds beyond 80 kilometers per hour it would have to be more stable and still manoeuvrable even at extreme speeds. His previous boards, although custom-made, would be overwhelmed. Steudtner, 37 years old, is about optimizing your technique, not about your own fitness, which is beyond any doubt. He’s probably one of the hardest training athletes in the world. His mighty thighs would be of great service to any downhill skier throwing himself down the Streif in Kitzbühel.
