Interview with big-wave surfer and world record holder Sebastian Steudtner

German big-wave surfer Sebastian Steudtner talks about his record wave, his way from Franconia via Hawaii to Portugal and his further plans for the future.

Sebastian Steudtner Weltrekordwelle in Nazaré, Portugal am 29.10.2020. Credit: Aybuke Dogmaz

On May 24, 2022, German big-wave surfer Sebastian Steudtner officially received the Guinness World Record for his ride on a 26.21 meter high wave. It's as tall as the Anzac Bridge in Sydney, or the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin!

Sebastian Steudtner during a press photo session before the official award ceremony of the new world record in big wave surfing in Nazaré, Portugal on 24.05.2022. Credit: Jorge Leal

Steudtner has been a fixture within the tight scene for years and has already won three Big Wave Awards (2010, 2015 & 2021).

I don't think in records, I think in quality of the wave.

The award ceremony is also commonly referred to as the surf Oscars and is the biggest recognition in the young sport.

In this conversation, the extreme athlete shares how he, as a Franconian boy from Nuremberg, in the middle of Germany, managed to become one of the most famous surfers in the world. He also reveals his plans for the future and takes the listener back to the record day in Portugal.