The video of California surfer Alessandro ‘Alo’ Slebir riding potential world record 108 foot wave at Maverick’s has gone viral
When a California surfer tore up a wave that was thought to be 108 feet high, Alessandro “Alo” Slebir might have smashed a world record.
Alessandro “Alo” Slebir directed his surfboard down the face of a building wall of water at approximately 3:15 p.m. on December 23, when a strong winter surge was raging on the California coast, leaving the Santa Cruz Wharf broken and adrift in the ocean. What happened next might make history.
Who is Alessandro ‘Alo’ Slebir as video of California surfer riding potential world record 108 foot high wave at Maverick’s goes viral
We saw epic waves from our home in Half Moon Bay over Xmas…
but just 0.5 miles offshore, local surfer Alo Slebir rode a wave estimated to be 108 ft. high! 🌊🏄♂️
While the video is still in analysis, he surely crushed the prior world record of 86 feet.pic.twitter.com/C5yibbe5P5— Steve Jurvetson (@FutureJurvetson) January 3, 2025
On December 23, 23-year-old Alessandro “Alo” Slebir was surfing with friends at Mavericks, which is close to Half Moon Bay, when he caught the massive wave.
Slebir, a 23-year-old Santa Cruz local, caught a towering wave at the Mavericks surf spot near Half Moon Bay, a popular surfing destination just south of San Francisco.
“You’re going so fast on those surfboards, you’re probably going 30, 40, 50 miles an hour — and that wave was so tall that it was sucking so much water coming back at you that it was a weird feeling, feeling the friction of the water underneath the surfboard. I’ve never felt that on really any other wave that I’ve ever caught,” Slebir told KSBW-TV.
“Alo’s wave is remarkable. It’s one of the biggest waves that’s ever been seen and captured on photos and videos and they kind of speak for themselves,” Sharp told SFGATE on Monday. “It’s going to require more analysis, but I think 100% in the discussion for the biggest wave ridden.”
🚨 NEW: Did Santa Cruz surfer Alessandro 'Alo' Slebir ride the 🌍 world’s biggest wave? 🌊
On December 23, Slebir took on a 108-foot beast at Mavericks near Half Moon Bay, California—possibly breaking the record by over 20 feet. 🏆
Racing up to 50 mph, he said the water felt… pic.twitter.com/kvL97IIgSz
— Mick McGoorty (@injudiciou18664) January 3, 2025
If Slebir actually broke the world record, it’s too soon to tell. According to Mavericks Rescue member Frank Quirarte, his investigation is still early because determining surf wave heights is a challenging and controversial task. After 18 months of evaluation, Sebastian Steudtner’s 86-foot wave at Nazaré, Portugal, was officially recognized by Guinness World Records as the largest wave ever surfed.
Social media is already popping with images and videos of Slebir skillfully navigating the raging surf. Many respectable surfers concluded that Slebir’s bombing down the wave’s face on Instagram was a world record. Pro surfer Kai Lenny commented, “100 foot wave,” and pro surfer Mason Barnes said, “That is the world record.”
Details about Alessandro “Alo” Slebir’s personal life are not known.