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Australian surfer Laura Enever has achieved a remarkable feat by setting a new world record for riding the largest wave ever paddled into by a woman. The 31-year-old surfer conquered a massive 43.6ft (13.3m) wave at Oahu, Hawaii's renowned break nicknamed the Himalayas in January. This incredible achievement surpassed the previous record, which had stood for seven years, by just one foot. The distinction was officially recognized by Guinness World Records during a ceremony in Narrabeen, Sydney, the place where Enever grew up surfing and began her career at the age of 11. After winning several junior competitions, she spent seven years as a regular on the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour before transitioning to chasing big waves. Although Enever has encountered numerous colossal swells throughout her career, none compare to the one she rode to secure this record. She described her experience, stating, "I knew it was big when I paddled into it and then when I took off I looked down and I knew it was definitely the biggest wave I've ever caught." She added, "I knew it was the wave of my life." Guinness World Records verified the height of Enever's wave using video footage of her ride along with detailed information about the location and videographers. Jessi Miley-Dyer, the WSL chief of sport, praised Enever's remarkable achievement and referred to her as fearless, committed, and an inspiration. Layne Beachley, a seven-time world surfing champion, lauded Enever's achievement, emphasizing that she had only paddled into a 15ft wave while being towed into a few 50ft waves. Beachley stated, "Any athlete who can paddle into a wave of that magnitude is pretty extraordinary." While the men's record for paddle-in waves was set by Hawaii's Aaron Gold in 2016 with a 63ft wave, the overall record for the biggest wave ever surfed is held by German surfer Sebastian Steudtner, who was towed into an enormous 86ft monster in 2020.