Natxo
Gonzalez
Spain
·
Surfing
Date of birth | 20 September 1995 |
|---|---|
Place of birth | Plentzia, in the Basque Country |
Age | 30 |
Nationality | Spain |
Disciplines | Surfing Big Wave |
Natxo González is so good at big wave surfing that he can tame the waves with the power of his mind. Yes, that's right – according to this guy, taming 6m waves is 80 percent in the head and only 20 percent of it's about the physical demands on the body; impressive stuff indeed.
Saving up for success
González's enormous talent and professionalism have earned him deserved recognition among his peers. He spent seven years saving up to buy his first elite surfboard, an endeavour which soon paid dividends when he started winning regional competitions, culminating in a hometown victory at the Punta Galea Challenge in 2012.
23 min
Searching El Salvador
Kai Lenny and Natxo González travel across El Salvador searching for never-before-surfed waves.
Since then the Basque shredder has broadened his horizons – he can take on any type of wave and has travelled the world to prove it. The man known as Natxete has hit up all the popular spots in the likes of Chile, Morocco and Namibia, and his favourite big wave is at Puerto Escondido, in Oaxaca, Mexico.
The wave of a lifetime
After heavy wipeouts in Puerto Escondido, Mexico and Nazaré, Portugal, left the Spaniard battling dizziness, nausea and severe headaches from multiple concussions, he underwent an intense rehabilitation programme at the Athlete Performance Centre in Austria.
Nearly two years after stepping away, he returned in 2023 with purpose on an expedition to Ireland, targeting Mullaghmore – one of the heaviest waves on the planet and a personal favourite. What followed was historic: González rode the biggest wave ever surfed at Mullaghmore, leaving locals in disbelief.