German Big Wave Surfer Turns to Science to Tame the Breakers

Germany's surfer Sebastian Steudtner harnesses technology to chase a new world record. Jorge LEAL / WORLD SURF LEAGUE/AFP/File
Germany's surfer Sebastian Steudtner harnesses technology to chase a new world record. Jorge LEAL / WORLD SURF LEAGUE/AFP/File
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German Big Wave Surfer Turns to Science to Tame the Breakers

Germany's surfer Sebastian Steudtner harnesses technology to chase a new world record. Jorge LEAL / WORLD SURF LEAGUE/AFP/File
Germany's surfer Sebastian Steudtner harnesses technology to chase a new world record. Jorge LEAL / WORLD SURF LEAGUE/AFP/File

Sebastian Steudtner already holds the world record for the largest wave ever surfed, but as the giant wave season begins, the German is looking to science and technology to chase a new high.

Harnessing the technical prowess of race car maker Porsche and autoparts specialist Schaeffler, Steudtner is seeking to dwarf his record 26.21-metre (86-foot) wave set at the Portuguese surfers' Mecca of Nazare three years ago, said AFP.

"With the world record wave I realized I've reached a limit for how fast my board can go," Steudtner told AFP of his last run, involving the wave reaching the equivalent of around eight storeys.

"Together with Porsche, we asked ourselves how we could make the board faster and more stable," said the 38-year-old Bavarian.

Surfers who increase their speed can take on bigger swells -- although it's not just a question of a "need for speed" but a question of safety as well.

"Speed is so important to us because the bigger the wave, the more speed I have to have to get away from it," said Steudtner.

"The power of the wave is an absolute force," he said, "like having several buildings pushing you."

Steudtner said the pressure of riding the biggest waves means surfers need to know their equipment will allow them to focus on the run itself.

Describing his record-breaking Nazare run in 2020, when he added almost two meters to the previous mark, he said: "I shoot across the wave at 80 kilometers (50 miles) an hour and concentrate 100 percent."

"I don't think about the past, the present and the future.

"I'm in the flow. I don't have time to think 'wow, this wave is beautiful'."

'A higher level'
Steudtner first fell in love with surfing at the age of nine when boogie boarding in France.

With his parents' blessing, Steudtner traded landlocked Bavaria for Hawaii to pursue a career in surfing at the age of 16.

He worked on construction sites to earn money, while learning to surf in his own time.

"I've made a lot of decisions in my life that nobody understood at the time".

His burning curiosity may have taken him across the world but it has also propelled changes to the sport itself.

Technological innovations could take the sport "to a higher level", he said.

In order to truly let surfers harness and master the force of the ocean, surfboards need not only to be faster, but also more stable and maneuverable at extreme speeds.

Porsche engineers helped develop a new board with an adapted nose, tail and edges to improve the hydrodynamics.

Schaeffler developed a friction-reducing coating which helps the board glide through the water.

Through tests in a wind-tunnel simulator, Steudtner was able to see how he should position himself on the board as it handles monster waves.

"Through changes to the board and altering Sebastian's stance, we were able to reduce air resistance by 20 percent," said Markus Schmelz, a project manager at Porsche.

The innovations "made the board faster and more stable at high speeds".

The new board, colored yellow and black, has since been delivered.

Steudtner, who trains daily in the gym to build up his muscle strength, was set for an autumn and winter chasing big waves.

Accompanied by a team of almost 30 people, including military doctors, Steudtner said he hopes to "understand the journey of the waves in the ocean".

With the power of science and design in tow, the German may be only days away from testing the board on the biggest stage of all.

"I'll have to give my best".



Australian Man Dies from Bat Bite

Fruit bats are known to carry Australian bat lyssavirus, but it is not known what species delivered the fatal bite. JOHN WILSON / AFP/File
Fruit bats are known to carry Australian bat lyssavirus, but it is not known what species delivered the fatal bite. JOHN WILSON / AFP/File
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Australian Man Dies from Bat Bite

Fruit bats are known to carry Australian bat lyssavirus, but it is not known what species delivered the fatal bite. JOHN WILSON / AFP/File
Fruit bats are known to carry Australian bat lyssavirus, but it is not known what species delivered the fatal bite. JOHN WILSON / AFP/File

An Australian man has died from an "extremely rare" rabies-like infection transmitted by a bat bite, health officials said Thursday.

The man in his 50s was bitten by a bat carrying Australian bat lyssavirus several months ago, the health service in New South Wales said.

"We express our sincere condolences to the man's family and friends for their tragic loss," NSW Health said in a statement.

"While it is extremely rare to see a case of Australian bat lyssavirus, there is no effective treatment for it."

The man from northern New South Wales, who has not been identified, was this week listed as being in a "critical condition" in hospital, said AFP.

The virus -- a close relative to rabies, which does not exist in Australia -- is transmitted when bat saliva enters the human body through a bite or scratch.

First symptoms can take days or years to appear.

Early signs of the disease are flu-like -- a headache, fever and fatigue, the health service said.

The victim's condition rapidly deteriorates, leading to paralysis, delirium, convulsions and death.

There were only three previous cases of human infection by Australian bat lyssavirus since it was first identified in 1996 -- all of them fatal.

People should avoid touching or handling bats, as any bat in Australia could carry lyssavirus, the New South Wales health service said.

"If you or someone you know is bitten or scratched by a bat, you need to wash the wound thoroughly for 15 minutes right away with soap and water and apply an antiseptic with anti-virus action," it said.

"Patients then require treatment with rabies immunoglobulin and rabies vaccine."

The virus has been found in species of flying foxes and insect-eating microbats, NSW Health said.

The type of bat involved in the latest fatality has not been identified.