Beyond Mavericks: The Nazaré obsession

Today, we’re heading to Portugal’s Silver Coast to unpack the story of Nazaré—the tiny fishing town that became the global capital of monster waves.

We’ll look back at how an underwater canyon deeper than the Grand Canyon turned Nazaré into a freak of nature, capable of producing 100-foot walls of water. From Garrett McNamara’s historic first ride to record-breaking waves by Rodrigo Koxa, Sebastian Steudtner, and Maya Gabeira, this episode traces how one spot redefined what surfers thought was possible.

We’ll also explore why Nazaré divides opinions: Is it the ultimate big-wave proving ground or just a novelty wave that looks better on Instagram than it feels under your feet? Either way, you can’t ignore it.