Three women, six arms, and three very different waves ridden in the Pacific Ocean. These were some of the biggest walls of water paddled into by a woman for the 2024 SURFER Big Wave Challenge. Let’s dive in.
There’s a lot of family history in Domi Charrier’s entry. She spent her childhood playing in the rock garden around the Chilean point break, Punta de Lobos. But this was the 21-year-old’s first crack at pulling into a proper double overhead lefthand tube on a proper gun (a 9’8” shaped by her father). She didn’t make it, but that doesn’t seem to hinder her enthusiasm. “I am very happy that my family has given me the opportunity,” she said. “It’s definitely the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen and I can’t wait to try it again!! I really like paddling big waves.”
Corrie Gray was the first person to enter a ride into three 2024 BWC. Her ride is a classic Waimea Bay bomb. A little airtime on the outside rail during the drop, but she sticks to her toes and leans in. A clean one all the way to the shoulder. Corrie pays the bills as a realtor in Honolulu, this big wave stuff is just for fun.
Rounding off the women’s paddle entries is Katie McConnell, who logged this wave at the inaugural Thriller at Killers contest in Todos Santos, which she subsequently won over two of the marquee names in women’s big wave surfing, Paige Alms and Bianca Valenti. It wasn’t easy: Look at the chops and ledges in the wave she had to negotiate on the way down. Katie had a busy year in 2024, including a paddle-in entry at Nazaré and a ski-assisted ride from Jaws. but we’re tripping the cap to her paddle prowess today.