Maya Gabeira Surfing's new superwoman
Maya Gabeira is shuffling up the deep white sands of Barra da Tijuca, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She's taking a break from a tow-in training session that has gone on for a few hours now. She walks up to the jet ski, turns around and stops on the photographer's request. Wet hair dripping over her face, Maya glances at the camera and smiles. She looks calm and tired; happy and... strong, way strong.
The youngest daughter of Fernando Gabeira, a famous Brazilian politician, Maya doesn't fit the stereotype of the young Latin American of privileged extract. She doesn't care about expensive clothes, she doesn't mind being in the sun all day long, and she hardly ever goes out at night. All Maya cares about is riding waves - stupidly big waves, as a matter of fact.
In April this year, she won the prestigious Billabong XXL Global Big Wave award on the Girls Overall Performance category for the third consecutive time. It's a bit like winning the World Cup for big-wave surfing three times over - the kind of stuff reserved for the more seasoned of the species. Winners are often much older. And yet, at twenty-two years of age, she's done it again.
You won the XXL for the third consecutive time. What crazy stuff did you have to do this time around in order to win? The waves that counted the most for my victory were in Outer Reef, Oahu. It was something around 15 to 18 feet, and I was doing tow-in with Carlos Burle. But in order to win the award again, I first surfed Teahupoo, Alaska, Puerto Escondido, Waimea Bay, Jaws and Outer Reef in Oahu. This whole year's work resulted in the third XXL award.
Describe your perfect day? Waimea over 25 feet with my 10'4". I pray for it to get like that but it's been two years since it hasn't been that big.
You feel more comfortable paddling in than towing in, is that right? Yep. I've just started doing tow-in and it tears me apart - it's very stressful. After that session in Teahupoo I got sick - it's too much for my body. But in a few years I'll be okay.
Describe that famous wave in Teahupoo, please. That was the biggest day in years in Tahiti and everyone was there, I mean everyone: all photographers, the pros, the legends, the sponsors, fifteen jet skis, helicopters, a mess. I had fallen on the two waves I'd tried before and hit the reef really hard. So I was hurt, scared and insecure when Burle came to me and said, "Come on, we'll get one now!" I said I was fucking scared and he said, "Everyone's scared, I'm scared too but we'll get one now!"
Sorry to interrupt, but how do you guys talk over there if he's riding the jet ski? Well, we actually scream but it feels like we're talking. Anyway, he rode to the outside and this big mess of a wave rose up, and I remember the other guys leaving it to us. 'Cause you got the best surfers in each jet ski and that wasn't really our wave, you see. But Burle charged hard on that one and they just got out of the way and screamed, "Go Maya!" [Maya's eyes start to wet as she tells the story.]
Were you wearing a helmet? No. So he pulled me in and when I let go the rope I remember seeing this great Tahitian surfer paddling out with his eyes wide open and screaming at me. Then I said to myself, "I got to go forward, I've got to speed up!" [Maya has tears in her eyes now.] Then I made it, I surfed the thing. All that sound over me, all that strength until I fell thanks to the big smoke behind me, but it was already in the end and Burle came to rescue me and said, "Fuck, man! That was big! Fuck!"
What's the worst wipe out you've ever had? I had some nasty ones in Waimea, but Teahupoo is the worst. That famous one on YouTube was bad [laughs]. My last one there, I smashed my body on the reef, I also threw up underwater. That night I woke up crying with big swollen feet. I can tell you it wasn't funny.
I read you went on a course to learn to stay underwater for longer. Useful stuff in your line of work, I suppose? Yes, but I can't hold it for too long, only 1 minute and 40 seconds.
That doesn't sound bad. But it is. I believe the secret is to be physically prepared and not to panic.
Have you ever panicked? I've wasted energy, yes, but I've never thought I was going to die. Never.
Are you afraid of dying? No... I'm afraid of getting hurt badly.
Have you? Not yet.
You know, the more you surf these monster waves chances are... I know, but that's 'cause I still wipe out and you can't wipe out on these kind of waves. The guys don't fall as much. Well, when it happens I'll worry and do a lot of physiotherapy, right?
Do you think your parents know how much risk you take out there? No one knows, really. Only the surfers know. How to explain a closing set in Waimea to a person who doesn't surf? A photo or a video won't do it justice.
Does the high you get on a huge wave match the risk you take? I guess it matches the challenges I set myself, 'cause you see, it's hard to be there. It's hard to even believe that you can be there. You've got to train hard to believe it.
For the full interview, check out HUCK#015, out now.
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