"I am very grateful to Porsche for the cooperative partnership over the past three years," says Sebastian Steudtner, "True to 'Driven by Dreams' and with Porsche as a partner I have been able to fulfill my dream of contributing to the further development of my sport." The current world record, which Steudtner also set in Nazaré in 2020, is 26.21 m (86.4ft).
Drone prototype in use for the first time
In Nazaré, the drone prototype from the joint technology project between Team Steudtner and Porsche Engineering was used. Part of the project’s focus has been on the development of a measuring drone that can quickly and precisely determine the height of waves. Until now, such measurements were carried out by analysing video footage and still images.
The prototype from Porsche Engineering and Team Steudtner is equipped with cameras, control units and storage devices. In addition, sensors from vehicle development are used, which support modern driver assistance systems. The device can measure all areas of the wave and the surfer within a radius of about 100 m.
"We are very pleased to have created an innovative solution that can advance the sport of surfing. It was a challenge to develop a drone that can measure not only the height of the waves but is also capable of tracking the surfer within the radius throughout the entire wave ride," says Marcus Schmelz, Project Manager at Porsche Engineering.
The official confirmation of new world records is the responsibility of official sports governing bodies. "We are open to sharing our technical insights from the drone development with official experts. Our goal is to further increase transparency in big wave surfing and to provide accurate measurement data more quickly,” Schmelz continues.
Steudtner’s ‘Mission Wave Alpha’ project to further develop surfing sport
Steudtner has based himself in Nazaré for the past few years as part of his Mission Wave Alpha project, which has seen him work with his partners Porsche, Porsche Engineering, Schaeffler, O2 Germany, Deutsche Vermögensberatung and X-BIONIC to take the sport to the next level on all fronts, from surfing the biggest waves to water safety, board materials and design.
Deniz Keskin, Director of Brand Management and Partnerships at Porsche, adds: “The mastering of a potential highest world record wave on his new Caçador RS board is the absolute highlight of three years of intensive cooperation with Sebastian. We are proud of our contribution and are delighted that our conviction to be an enabler rather than a pure sponsor has proven to be a great success.”
Helping to surf the biggest waves possible, Steudtner has developed surfboard technology in partnership with Porsche Engineering and Schaeffler to significantly optimise his surfboard over the past three years. Using the latest simulation methods and wind tunnel validations, water and air resistances have been successfully reduced. As a result, with the new Caçador RS board Steudtner can now reach speeds of up to 100 km/h, compared to the previous 80 km/h. The higher speed is necessary to ride larger waves – because the taller a wave is, the faster the surfer must be so that it doesn't overrun them. It was this advantage in speed that enabled Steudtner to ride the potential new world record wave.
“Big wave surfing is a beautiful sport; I love it and I am very proud to be able to bring it to the next level through the development of safety and technology and by believing in my dream,” says Steudtner. “It is my goal to improve big wave surfing and take it to the next level. Together with my team, which is driven by its unique 'can do' mindset to define what’s possible in big-wave surfing, we were able to accomplish this mission.”
