A former WCT competitor who’s successfully extended his pro career through his dedicated big wave and slab gig, Eric Rebière is one of the few European big wave hellmen to have pushed the envelope in waves of consequence over the past half-decade, leading the charge on the old continent both in tow-in and paddle surfing. Spending most of his time between a family home in Galicia, his own home in Ericeira and a holiday home in the Canaries, Eric’s always looking to tap into new, crazy unsurfed waves and at the same time has also taken his big wave game abroad to put everything into perspective. With all that in mind, we were interested to know which waves he considered most challenging.

“The first spot that comes to mind immediately, it’s the wave that’s most captivated my imagination the last few years… Nazaré. It’s a beach break that’s in a whole league of its own. Of course, considering the size of the waves we’ve been riding over there, all of our rides are dangerous but it’s not so much the wave in itself that’s dangerous, it’s the security conditions around the spot. A rescue operation is extremely complicated and risky for everyone, as dangerous for the surfer as for the jetski drivers. As Billabong Adventure division manager François Liets points out, “The inside shorebreak is just your worst nightmare”. There’s no channel, no lineup, no safety zone, whitewater turbulence and whirlpools that can potentially shutdown a jetski in seconds… and Maya Gabeira’s near-drowning there a few Novembers ago reminded everyone just how dangerous the place can be even with the assistance of jet-skis.”