The moment Laura Enever ‘went for it’ to score the monster record-breaking wave
On January 22, 2023, North Narrabeen surfer Laura Enever made a decision that changed her life forever. Actually, two decisions.
The first, as a second alternate for the prestigious Eddie Aikau event on Oahu, Hawaii, instead of waiting on the beach to see if she’d get a start, Laura decided to challenge herself and surf a nearby outer reef. The second was when, during that session, a mountain-sized wall of water presented itself to Laura, who was in its path. She had two choices: pull back or go for it. Laura went for it. She defied past criticisms of her need to be physically bigger, to be stronger to cut it as a big wave surfer, ignored any whispers of imposter syndrome that previously echoed through her ears, and she swung to paddle head-first into a highway of blue below her.
WORLD RECORD FOR LARGEST WAVE
Ten months later, November 9, 2023, the World Surf League marked that wave at 43.6 feet (13.3 metres), setting a Guinness World Record for the largest wave surfed by paddle-in by a female surfer. Laura explained to Surfer Today the juxtaposition of what was in front of her on that record-breaking day.
“[I thought it was] the biggest, most beautiful, scariest monster I’ve ever seen,” she said, explaining that she had previously spent the session paddling back and forth, trying not to get smashed by the big sets. But when that particular wave rose into position, she knew it was something special. “[It] was such a gift. I was right in the perfect spot. I turned and just had to take a few paddles,” she said. “I felt it pick me up, and I knew it was big when I was paddling, [but] I looked down the face and was like, it’s a long way down! This is the biggest wave you’ve ever caught!”
Laura further explained, “I got to the bottom, and the wave absolutely exploded [around] me” of the whitewall of water impossible to outrun. To the online commentators challenging the wave’s legitimacy due to an incomplete ending, I eye-roll. Let’s remember that paddling in only with the force of your equipment and bodyweight to drive your speed versus being towed in by a jetski is vastly different, and the men’s Guinness World Record for the same category also saw the surfer swallowed at the wave’s base.
WHEN LAURA ENEVER WAS 13
Watching the mind-blowing footage of Laura in that moment, of her recognising fear and having a little fun with it, reminded me that I’d seen it before. But it was 19 years ago. And Laura was 13. I was on Phillip Island as the then-editor of SurfGIRL magazine (R.I.P), reporting on the 2004 Roxy Pro. I can’t recall what division and heat were in the water – World Surf League online records stop at 2008 – but I think it was either Junior or Under 16. The surf was junky, the overcast sky casting eerie shadows on the surface, and the sets were breaking quite far out. Laura was tiny, the oversized competition vest almost swallowing her whole. She paddled out with gusto, and even being in those conditions was impressive.
Only two years earlier, I helped push an 11-year-old Laura and her best friend Chloe Fisher (nee Chapman) into peelers on soft boards at the annual SurfGIRL Surf Day. Now, she was paddling out at Phillip Island, and a solid four-foot set was approaching, rearing up, ready to smash Laura right on the head. Four-time World Champion Lisa Andersen stood beside me, and we collectively gasped. Laura was about to be cleaned up. We watched as she scratched through the ocean, up, up, up the face of the wave. One more stroke and she might make it over the top unscathed, I thought, peeking through gaps in my fingers that shielded my eyes. But as we’re well aware of now, Laura Enever is full of surprises. The breath of relief I exhaled got stuck in my throat as I watched Laura, this teeny dot in the ocean, not soar to safety on the other side of the crest, but swing around and take off with the pitching lip on possibly the biggest wave of the day. She made the drop and rode out on what was a big ball of close-out foam, and if memory serves me right, that bravery and commitment saw Laura win the heat. Spectators on shore looked at each other with gaped mouths in disbelief. I may have excitedly grabbed Lisa Andersen’s arm, which (I’m sure) infringed on personal space.
In 2023, that wave by a 13-year-old may not seem such a big deal. But in 2004, long before the seeds of female surfing were indeed being watered and nourished, it was something worth celebrating, and acknowledging the great things to come.