Maya Gabeira

Brazilian professional big wave surfer who holds the women's world record for largest wave surfed at 73.5 feet, set at Nazaré, Portugal in 2020.

Born in Rio de Janeiro on October 14, 1987, Maya Reis Gabeira grew up in a family connected to Brazil's cultural scene—her father Fernando Gabeira was a prominent journalist and politician. She began surfing at age 13 and quickly progressed from traditional surfing to big wave riding, drawn to the technical and psychological challenges of massive swells. Her early development took place on Brazil's coast before she began traveling internationally to pursue the world's most formidable waves. Gabeira's professional career gained momentum in the 2000s as she established herself as a pioneer in women's big wave surfing, a discipline with few female participants. She competed across various locations including Mavericks in California, Pipeline in Hawaii, and eventually Nazaré in Portugal, which became central to her legacy. Her commitment to the sport was tested dramatically in 2013 when she suffered a near-fatal wipeout at Nazaré that resulted in serious injuries and temporarily ended her competitive pursuits. After extensive recovery and training, Gabeira returned to competition with renewed focus on Nazaré's massive waves. In 2018, she set the World Surf League women's big wave record by riding a 68-foot wave. She subsequently broke her own record in 2020, surfing a 73.5-foot wave that earned official recognition from the WSL and Guinness World Records. These achievements were accompanied by multiple WSL Big Wave Award nominations, establishing her dominance in the discipline. Gabeira's impact extends beyond individual records to her role in advancing women's participation in big wave surfing. Her technical approach, combined with rigorous physical preparation and mental conditioning, demonstrated that women could compete at the highest levels of the sport's most demanding discipline. She helped secure equal prize money for women in WSL big wave events and inspired a new generation of female surfers to pursue previously male-dominated aspects of the sport. Her career represents both athletic excellence and significant progress in gender equity within professional surfing.

Big wave specialist known for fearless approach to massive swells at dangerous breaks

Pioneering female big wave surfer who pushed boundaries and inspired women in extreme sports

• WSL Women's Big Wave Record (73.5ft at Nazaré)
• WSL Big Wave Award
• Survived near-fatal wipeout 2013