Former Love Island contestant Laura Crane has made waves in the surfing world by tackling what could be a record-breaking wave at Nazaré, Portugal. The 30-year-old from Devon competed in the Nazaré Big Wave Challenge, riding a wave that may be the largest ever attempted by a woman.
Crane, who appeared on Love Island in 2018 while taking a break from surfing, now awaits confirmation from Guinness World Records. The process could take months or years. If approved, she would surpass the current women's record of 73½ feet (22.4m) set by Brazil's Maya Gabeira in February 2020.
Sharing the feat on Instagram to her 397,000 followers, Crane received widespread praise. One fan commented: 'Monster wave, sooo clean and what about the light.' Another wrote: 'This is truly a proud moment! A Surf South West Teacher to BIG WAVE surfer... way to go LC.'
Describing the experience to The Times as an 'out of body experience,' Crane said: 'You are moving so quickly and you don't have much control... it's just having to trust yourself, your training, your body and mind.' She added that fear is the initial response, but controlling it is key.
Earlier this year, Crane broke her ankle while surfing a huge wave at Nazaré but was determined to compete this winter. She broke down in tears after being rescued by her support team on a jet ski, calling it 'tears of happiness and joy' and a dream come true.
