Sebastian Steudtner

Sebastian Steudtner (born 4 May 1985) is an Austrian-German surfer and champion in big wave surfing.[1][2] As of 2025 he holds the world record for the tallest wave ever surfed.[3]

Early life

At the age of sixteen, Steudtner moved to Hawaii from Nuremberg, his hometown.[4]

Career

Steudtner won the 2010, 2015 and 2021 WSL Biggest Wave awards.[4] Steudtner was engaged to speak and work with English Premier League team Liverpool, conveying lessons and exercises from his surfing experience.[5][6][7][8]

In 2020, in Nazaré, Portugal, he surfed a 26.21 m (86.0 ft) tall wave, the tallest wave ever surfed.[9]

In an interview in 2021, Steudtner said that with improvements in rescue and support equipment, waves that are "much bigger" than currently could be surfed, and that that was his goal.[10]

In 2024, Steudtner surfed a wave measured at 28.57 m (93.7 ft) at the same location. If officially ratified, it would surpass his own world record of the tallest wave ever surfed. [11]

Personal life

Steudtner's girlfriend and tow partner until 2021 was Maya Gabeira, who is the record holder for the tallest wave ever surfed by a woman, at 20.8 m (68.2 ft).[12] They continue to support each other professionally.

References

  1. ^ "Weltrekordler & zweifacher Lebensretter" (in German). express.de. 6 July 2022.
  2. ^ Pfeiffer, Frieder (29 December 2007). ""Die Welle lässt einen raus - oder eben nicht"". Der Spiegel (in German). spiegel.de.
  3. ^ "Der Meister der Monsterwellen" (in German). tz.de. 25 July 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Sebastian Steudtner: "Being on top of a 30 metre wave is exhilarating"". marca.com. 5 April 2022.
  5. ^ "How surfing sensation Sebastian Steudtner played big role in Liverpool title triumph". Archived from the original on 2023-04-30.
  6. ^ "Jurgen Klopp explains how a surfer helped Liverpool win Premier League". liverpoolecho.co.uk. 18 November 2020.
  7. ^ "Jurgen Klopp makes waves by welcoming surfer into Liverpool camp". cnn.com. 21 August 2019.
  8. ^ "Do Liverpool's 'mentality monsters' have the desire and energy to push Man City again?". theathletic.com (Archived). Archived from the original on 2022-10-14.
  9. ^ "Surfing a record 86-foot wave took guts. Measuring it took 18 months". washingtonpost.com (Archived). Archived from the original on 2022-05-24.
  10. ^ Bensinger, Graham (May 19, 2021). "Maya Gabeira and big-wave partner Sebastian Steudtner splitting up" (video). youtube.com. grahambensinger.com. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
  11. ^ "The biggest wave ever surfed? Sebastian Steudtner eyes record from Nazaré – video". The Guardian. www.theguardian.com. 19 April 2024.
  12. ^ Bensinger, Graham (May 19, 2021). "Maya Gabeira: Sticking with my ex-boyfriend" (video). youtube.com. grahambensinger.com. Retrieved December 22, 2025.


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