| Maya Gabeira | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Gabeira in Washington D.C in 2014 | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | Maya Reis Gabeira (1987-04-10)April 10, 1987 (age 37) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| Residence | Portugal |
| Height | 1.68 m (5.5 ft) |
| Weight | 56 kg (123 lb) |
| Surfing career | |
| Major achievements | Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Award (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012) ESPY Award (Best Female Action Sports Athlete (2009) Teen Choice Awards 2010 |
Maya Reis Gabeira (born April 10, 1987) is a Brazilianbig wave surfer. She surfed a 22.4 m (73 ft) high wave inNazaré, Portugal in February 2020, recorded byGuinness World Records as the biggest wave ever surfed by a woman.[1][2] She also held the previous record for biggest wave ever surfed by a woman, of 20.8 m (68 ft) established in January 2018.[3][4]
Gabeira has received numerous accolades including theESPY award forBest Female Action Sports Athlete.
Gabeira started surfing at age 13 inRio de Janeiro and started competing at 15 years old. In 2004, she decided to become a professional at 17 while living in Australia and moved to Hawaii that same year to surf world class waves.
She quickly emerged as the world's top female big-wave surfer, winning global championships surfing challenging spots likeMavericks,Waimea,Todos Santos, and South Africa's shark-infested"Dungeons".
She has won theBillabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards for four consecutive times (2007 to 2010) in the Best Female Performance category.
In 2008, she became the first woman to surf big waves in Alaska.[5] Gabeira also became the first woman to surf California'sGhost Trees andTahiti'sTeahupoo.[6]
In 2009, Gabeira won theESPY award forBest Female Action Sports Athlete. Later that year, Gabeira surfed the biggest wave ever by a woman when she successfully rode a 14 m (46 ft) wave atDungeons, a big-wave surf spot in South Africa.
In 2010, she got the2010 Teen Choice Award forBest Female Action Sports Star.[7][8]
In 2012, she was awarded the XXL Big Wave Awards for Girls Best Overall Performance for the 5th time. She also appeared in theESPN The Body Issue that same year.[9]
On October 28, 2013, Gabeira lost consciousness and nearly drowned while surfing a massive wave atPraia do Norte,Nazaré,Portugal; she was saved by her fellow Brazilian big-wave surfer Carlos Burle. She had to be revived on the beach and was taken to hospital.[10][11] In 2016, the documentaryReturn to Nazaré byRed Bull TV showed Gabeira's returned to Nazaré after the accident.[12]
In January 2018, Gabeira surfed a 20.8 m (68 ft) wave in Nazare, recorded byGuinness World Records as the biggest wave surfed by a woman.[3][4]
In February 11, 2020, Gabeira set a newGuinness World Record for theLargest wave surfed (unlimited) - female.[13][14] It was held inWSLNazaré Tow Surfin contest and the wave measured 22.4 m (73.5 ft).[1][2] The wave was also the biggest wave surfed by anyone that year.[15]
She is the subject of the 2022 documentary filmMaya and the Wave.[16]
In 2022, she was namedUNESCOChampion for Ocean and Youth.[17]
Gabeira is the daughter ofFernando Gabeira, one of the founding members of theGreen Party of Brazil. Her father is the son ofLebanese immigrants.[18][19] Her mother, Yamê Reis, is a Brazilian fashion designer.[citation needed]
