Back in early November of 2017, Andrew Cotton broke his back at Nazaré. As you might imagine, it was a horrendous wipeout. At the time, he was filming for a documentary with Garrett McNamara. After a whole lot of rehab and a Wipeout of the Year award, he found his way into the lineup that nearly killed him. Since it’s Nazaré, however, one doesn’t ever really expect to escape unscathed. The lineup is so big and the waves so enormous that whether you’ll wipeout or not isn’t even a question. It’s the preparation for those wipeouts that’s so important.
The crash you see above occurred on November 7. Pedro Miranda, a man who films Nazaré better than nearly anyone, was there with his camera. Garrett McNamara tows “Cotty” into a wave that’s estimated to be about 60-65 feet. He hits a bump, loses his balance, and bounces down the face. McNamara spins it around and plucks him from the sea unharmed.
See more from Pedro Miranda on his website, like him on Facebook, and follow him on Instagram.
