Held on May 4 at the Grove in Anaheim, California, McNamara accepted the awards for Biggest Wave and Biggest Wipeout in front of 2,200 surf world VIP's, states Surfline.
McNamara's Biggest Wave Award stems from a 78 footer in Portugal this past November. The Body Glove International team rider was also recognized by Guinness World Records for the 78 foot wave. McNamara's November Portugal ride tops previous record holder Mike Parsons, 2008 Southern California 77 footer.
The Guinness World Record site already acknowledges McNamara as the new record holder, with the height of the wave being authenticated by the Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards judging committee.
It's amazing we get to do what we do, I'm so grateful, McNamara said onstage, accepting the award. The world record doesn't mean as much to me - this is for the town of Nazaré and Portugal and for all my family and friends there. To be able to give them something to be proud of and inspire them, a world record for this town doing it tough in the middle of nowhere is great, he continued.
Garrett McNamara was born in Pittsfield, Mass., in 1967. In 1978 the future Guinness World Record breaker moved to Hawaii with his family where his passion for surfing took off.
Watch the video of Garrett McNamara ride his record breaking wave here.
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