British surfer Andrew Cotton hopes to ride the biggest wave in history, ideally in previously untouched waters.
British surfer Andrew Cotton hopes to ride the biggest wave in history, ideally in previously untouched waters.
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That quest has taken him to Portugal, where he surfed one of the biggest waves in history of 60 feet in 2014.
That quest has taken him to Portugal, where he surfed one of the biggest waves in history of 60 feet in 2014.
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But the Englishman has his heart set on the record held by his surf buddy Garrett McNamara. The American's official best is a 78-footer in 2011; he claimed to have managed 100 feet in January 2013, but this has not been ratified by Guinness World Records.
But the Englishman has his heart set on the record held by his surf buddy Garrett McNamara. The American's official best is a 78-footer in 2011; he claimed to have managed 100 feet in January 2013, but this has not been ratified by Guinness World Records.
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Cotton, here venturing into the water in Portugal, says big-wave surfing can sometimes take days of preparation for just five or six seconds on a wave.
Cotton, here venturing into the water in Portugal, says big-wave surfing can sometimes take days of preparation for just five or six seconds on a wave.
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Cotton likens riding a big wave -- and knowing you will be engulfed by the water -- to meditation. Here he catches a wave in Killybegs, Ireland.
Cotton likens riding a big wave -- and knowing you will be engulfed by the water -- to meditation. Here he catches a wave in Killybegs, Ireland.
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A trained plumber, he has been able to put his previous trade on hold for the past two years to surf professionally.
A trained plumber, he has been able to put his previous trade on hold for the past two years to surf professionally.
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Jet skis are often essential when trying to catch big waves, and Cotton took McNamara onto his 2013 effort.
Jet skis are often essential when trying to catch big waves, and Cotton took McNamara onto his 2013 effort.
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He admits there are dangers to big wave surfing and says he feels fear every time it comes to tackle the monstrous swells -- such as this one at Praia do Norte in Nazaré, Portugal.
He admits there are dangers to big wave surfing and says he feels fear every time it comes to tackle the monstrous swells -- such as this one at Praia do Norte in Nazaré, Portugal.
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The world's leading big-wave surfers flock to Nazare for the European winter season.
The world's leading big-wave surfers flock to Nazare for the European winter season.
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Cotton spends months of the year away from his wife Katy and their two children to pursue his profession.
Cotton spends months of the year away from his wife Katy and their two children to pursue his profession.
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But he relishes returning home and surfing his home waters in Croyde on the north Devon coast in England.
But he relishes returning home and surfing his home waters in Croyde on the north Devon coast in England.
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