One look at a big wave event is enough to make most people dizzy. But for some, careering down the middle of a swell matching the height of a skyscraper is the ultimate thrill.
Portuguese big wave star Alex Botelho caught the rough end of the whitewash overnight at Nazaré, which is known as "Portugal's most dangerous wave".
Botelho was being ferried back to shore on the back of a jetski but found himself in the worst possible spot at the crest of two colliding waves, which flipped the vehicle high into the air.
Dozens of rescue staff rushed into the water before rushing Botelho to the hospital.
"If you take Jaws, Puerto Escondido and Waimea shorebreak and put them all on steroids… you get Nazaré," US big wave surfer Garrett McNamara said.
