Laura Enever is somewhat of a renaissance woman in surfing.
Midway through her career, she reinvented herself. She went from longtime competitor on the World Surf League’s Championship Tour, to free surfing big wave charger.
And now, chasing big waves is her primary pursuit.
Her latest hunt for heavy water brought her to Fiji, where she surfed the recent XXL swell with a handful of other big wave tube specialists.
Rocking up to Cloudbreak, here were her thoughts:
“Oh my god, it’s f*cking huge. There’s a pretty big crew of absolute chargers out here right now. I’m the only girl out. I’m gonna give it a try.”
That she did. She got right in the mix amongst the men, found her waves, and fully sent it on some bombs. But not all of ‘em were keepers; particularly one wipeout. She took off late, hovered on the drop, then struggled to hang on.
Related: Laura Enever Breaks World Record for Biggest Wave Paddle Surfed by a Female (Video)
“One more epic wipeout to add to my wipeout reel,” she said. “I just got f*cking flogged. I almost had it. Like a steep drop. I should’ve just held my rail longer. I fell on my back and just got flogged. Then the next four waves behind it hit me. I was just getting dragged. I lost an earring, then this new earring, like, went into my ear. It was under the skin.”
Back in January of 2023, Enever solidified her position in the big wave world with the Guinness World Record for the largest wave paddled by a woman. It was on Oahu’s Outer Reefs, and the wave was deemed to be 43.6 feet.
And she’s not done yet. This video is the kickoff for more to come on her YouTube channel. Where will she strike next? Stay tuned to find out.
***
Don’t miss another headline from SURFER! Subscribe to our newsletter, follow us on Instagram, and stay connected with the latest happenings in the world of surfing. We’re always on the lookout for amusing, interesting and engaging surf-related videos to feature on our channels.
Whether you’re a professional surfer or just an amateur, we want to see your best footage and help you share it with the world. Submit your video for a chance to be featured on SURFER and our social channels. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch high-quality surf videos.