What Joana Andrade lacks in height, she makes up for with sheer will. Andrade, who hails from Portugal’s wave-rich Ericeira, stands just over 5 feet tall and is recognized as the first woman to be towed into Nazaré’s giant apex.
Andrade was the subject of a 2022 documentary about her called Big Vs. Small. The film goes into the process of overcoming fear at Nazaré, but it also delves deeper into how surfing helped her overcome serious childhood trauma, and how she’s committed to free-diving training underneath ice sheets with Finnish free-diving World Champion, Johanna Nordblad. Which is all to say, Andrade has a helluva story.
“Surfing big waves is not for everyone, you know?” the 44-year-old said in an interview with Wavelength Magazine. “You need to like to take risks. You need to like to challenge yourself to get out of your comfort zone.”
Above, Andrade once again proves her Nazaré chops during a swell in late January. She got the assist from Brazilian big-wave surfer Michaela Fregonese. The two formed the first all-women tow team at Nazaré.