Huge Rogue Wave Knocks Out Surf Spectators in France (Video)
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After a slow-ish start to the winter season, the Atlantic Ocean has awoken.
For proof, earlier this week, the 2024 TUDOR Nazaré Big Wave Challenge kicked off with 30-to-40 foot waves detonating on Praia do Norte, Portugal. Brazilian big wave surfers Lucas “Chumbo” Chianca, Maya Gabeira, and Pedro Scooby swept that event.
More proof: A rogue wave in France knocking spectators off their feet – see below.
The clip from Surfing Biarritz, a social media account dedicated to, well, all things surfing in the town of Biarritz. And the clip shows a gigantic rogue wave slamming against a seawall, cascading over it, and sweeping away spectators with it.
Luckily, the amatxi (Basque for “grandmother”) on her morning stroll was out of harm’s way; the other folks, however, closer to the wall, they got wrecked.
As poorly translated using the internet, the clip is captioned:
“Caution big wave in progress at #Biarritz. Suddenly, not sure if amatxi (grandma) continues her walk...More fear than evil for walkers shaken by the wave”
How high is that seawall? Must be a good 20-to-30 feet. But with the big swell, coupled with France’s notoriously vast tidal swings, the wave still toppled well over it.
It is also an El Niño season. And Northern Hemisphere coastlines the world over have seen a surplus of swell in recent weeks and months – from California to New Jersey to Hawaii. In some cases, there’s been too much swell. And now, it’s Europe’s turn.
The scene is reminiscent of another one recently; during the historic December 28th swell, which lit up Mavericks in Half Moon Bay, CA, surf spectators were washed away by a sneaker wave in a similar fashion.
Stay vigilant out there. Keep grandma safe.
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