The North Devon roots of a surfer making waves on the global scene

When I visited the beautiful beaches of Nazare during a summer holiday in Portugal, the sea was calm, slightly cool, but blissfully tepid for splashing around in the shallow waters.

There is, however, another side to the Nazare story: it is a surfing Mecca, perhaps the ultimate challenge for those who love to ride the waves, as this delightful spot on the Portuguese coast, 90 minutes north of Lisbon, is famed for some of the biggest surf in the world.

North Devon’s Laura Crane made a winter trip to the Holy waters of Nazare with every intention of experiencing a unique surfing challenge, but she returned home with a potential world record.

When Laura paddled out through the huge surf, the 30 year-old obviously had no idea she was about to ride “one of the most perfect big waves”. In reality, she would surf a wave that is challenging the world record for the biggest ever ridden by a woman – the previous record is a mind-boggling 73.5 feet.

Surfing a wave of such incredible height and power brings speeds in excess of 30mph and the potential for serious injury if you make a mistake: "When I came off the back, I cried straight away," Crane told the BBC. "The adrenaline is incomparable."

The former Team GB star, who has also appeared on the TV show Love Island, has been a dedicated surfer from an early age and a proud member of the wave riding community in Croyde.

In an interview with Surf South-West, Crane talked about her life in North Devon: “My family and I used to head to Croyde most weekends just to be near the sea,” she said. “We finally decided to make the full move from Bristol when I was eight. My dad already loved surfing and I soon followed in his footsteps.

“I got my first ever surf lesson and of course, it was with Surf South West because they’re the best, right? I caught the infamous surf bug instantly. The rest is history.

“I remember getting in the school bus every morning and driving around the headland was like the best wave check ever. If the waves were good there was little chance I was making it to the end of the bus journey!

“Croyde’s surf community is one of the tightest communities in the world. We all know how lucky we are to have this absolute gem of a wave in our backyards and our whole life revolves around it.”

Congratulations to Laura for a remarkable achievement and to all in the North Devon surfing community for making our beautiful corner of the world such a special place to ride the waves.