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Reef Break
What happens when you鈥檙e out there and the waves just keep getting bigger and bigger and bigger? (Photo: RugliG/iStock)
Published: 

A Veteran Surfer鈥檚 Big-Wave Nightmare

Reef Break

It began as every surfer鈥檚 dream: an empty point break, a rising swell, and a good friend to share the rides. But what happens when you鈥檙e out there and the waves just keep getting bigger and bigger and bigger? So it went for William Finnegan at a break off the Portuguese island of Madeira. This happened decades ago, back when surfers had to more or less guess at the conditions they鈥檇 encounter on any given day. In this episode, Finnegan, whose surfing memoir won the Pulitzer Prize, shares one of his most harrowing experiences in the water. He and another longtime听surfer were stuck out past the impact zone in a remote section of seas as night descended. Exhausted and frightened, they were forced to decide how to go about saving themselves.


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国产吃瓜黑料鈥檚 longstanding literary storytelling tradition comes to life in audio with features that will both entertain and inform listeners. We launched in March 2016 with our first series, Science of Survival, and have since expanded our show to offer a range of story formats, including reports from our correspondents in the field and interviews with the biggest figures in sports, adventure, and the outdoors.