Award
Brazil
Michelle des Bouillons
Women's award for her 13 Dec 2025 ride
Brazil
Women's award for her 13 Dec 2025 ride
Michelle des Bouillons, born in Rio de Janeiro, first rode big waves at Nazaré in 2017, on a tow board her father made for her. Since then she has become one of the regulars whenever Praia do Norte gets huge.
On 13 December 2025, during the WSL event, her partner Ian Cosenza towed her into a wave that her team's own study measured at 24.99 metres. That would beat Maya Gabeira's 22.4 metre record, but Guinness hasn't confirmed it, so officially the record is still Gabeira's. The ride did win women's Biggest Wave at the Big Wave Challenge awards in 2026.
She was also the first woman to surf Baixa da Viola, a big wave reef in the Azores.
Her big wave on 13 Dec 2025.
One email when giant waves (10 m+) show up in the models, usually 5 to 7 days ahead.
Photos: Carlos Eduardo Joos (header), CC BY 2.0; Founzy (Kai Lenny), CC BY-SA 4.0; Walterpeitz (wave photos 1, 2), CC BY-SA 4.0; Luis Ascenso (wave photo), CC BY 2.0; Carlos Eduardo Joos (wave photo), CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Portugal
USA (Hawaii)
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