Surfing
Surfing
The remarkable comeback story of big wave surfer Natxo González
After almost two years out of the water, the Basque surfer returned with a historic performance in Mullaghmore, riding the wave of his life on the infamous Irish slab.
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It had been a terrible two years for Natxo González. A serious wipeout in Puerto Escondido in Mexico, followed by another in Nazaré, Portugal, forced the Spaniard to live with dizziness, nausea and severe headaches derived from several concussions. The serious neurological problems not only forced him to take a break in his career, but almost led him to quit the sport altogether.
Fortunately, González was able to travel to Switzerland to see specialists and then completed a demanding rehabilitation programme at the Athlete Performance Centre (APC) in Austria, which finally got him back on the water.
After almost two years on the sidelines, González returned to the water with an expedition to Ireland. His goal: to ride the dreaded Irish slab of Mullaghmore, one of his personal favourites and one of the heaviest waves on the planet.
What followed was a historic performance, with locals in disbelief as González rode the biggest wave ever surfed at Mullaghmore.
"When I saw that set coming, it was a split-second moment. At first, I thought I couldn't paddle it, but I just tried," explains González. "In the end, that's how you push the limits. Trying and testing. It's true that in this magnitude of waves, the balance of trying and the risk is very high, and you have to see if it pays off or not.
Onlookers in disbelief as González conquers the huge wave
© Gary McCall/Red Bull Content Pool
"I went all out at all times but I wasn't sure if I was going to make it. The drop and the bottom were very intense and so was the wind. I almost crashed, until I managed to get to the flat of the wave - you don't have time to think too much in a situation like that."
The wave of a lifetime
The take off at Mullaghmore is critical, and for González it carried even more consequence. A fast tube full of turbulence and, with an enormous force that breaks violently on a rocky bottom, which during low tide has barely two metres of water covering the reef, a heavy fall could have taken him back out of action.
Negative thoughts may have entered his head, but González held his line, fully committed and came out the other side of the wave. It was far from the first huge wave he'd conquered, but this time it felt different.
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It's the best wave of my life because it sums up my whole career, all the experience, work and passion
González has surfed huge waves all over the world, but this achievement felt different. It symbolised the end of a cycle marked by uncertainty and self-improvement. Beyond the sporting achievement, it represented the determination of an athlete who refused to accept the end of his career.
"It's the best wave of my life because it sums up my whole career, all the experience, work and passion I've been gathering over the years," he said. "I think this wave has given me all those difficulties, and I've managed to overcome them."
A dedication to riding big waves
17 min
Naxto González
Go behind the scenes with one of big wave surfing’s most passionate characters as he lays it all on the line.
González has made history in big wave surfing, carving his own path as one of the best riders on the planet. He has always embraced challenges, both in his personal life and on the water, facing the most dangerous waves in the world.
Finding these huge waves is another of González's great skills. He prides himself on being one of the most well-travelled surfers on the international scene, and is almost always accompanied by cameraman Joan Aspuru.
His recent trip to El Salvador with Kai Lenny is another example of the adventurous character that defines one of the sport's most courageous athletes.
23 min
Searching El Salvador
Kai Lenny and Natxo González travel across El Salvador searching for never-before-surfed waves.
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