Australian surfer Laura Enever has received the recognition of being the female Surfer of the Year at the 2024 SURFER Big Wave Challenge Awards ceremony in Nazaré, Portugal.
The Surfer of the Year category recognizes the remarkable surfers who are dedicated to conquering the challenge of the biggest and heaviest waves.
The world’s top big-wave surfers receive recognition at the awards ceremony, together with the photographers and videographers who documented them in action. Making history, Enever was the only Australian who was nominated in any category.
After winning the award, Enever said: “With so many incredible women in big wave surfing, it’s an honour just to be nominated for an award like this… I’m so grateful to receive this recognition for doing what I love.”
Enever’s surfing journey
The athlete is widely recognized for her exceptional achievements in large-wave surfing. Enever created history in late 2023 when she broke the record for the largest wave a woman has ever paddled in.
Enever successfully achieved a record-breaking 13.3-metre wave at the Outer Reef on the North Shore of Oahu earlier this year.
Enever admitted: “I knew it was big when I paddled into it and then when I took off I looked down and I knew it was definitely the biggest wave I’ve ever caught.”
She added: “I knew it was the wave of my life, the whole way it all came together and the way I committed, backed myself, told myself to go, and trusted I could do it… The ride was such a breakthrough for me and a moment that will be really special and monumental in my surf career.”
Now, the surfer is getting ready for the renowned Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational which will take place in Hawaii’s Waimea Bay. This competition will include some of the greatest big wave surfers in the world.
Source: The Guardian