Sunshine Coast’s Michael Novy is not one to shy away from a challenge – even if it could potentially leave him with severe injuries, or worse.

When the gallery of professional surfers, bodyboarders and photographers signalled for him to pull off the back of this mammoth wave at The Right – fearing that it was a closeout – Novy instead did the one thing that came naturally to him and charged it.

“I was sitting in the deep water when Damo (Damien Martin) started towing me and I hadn’t even seen the swell lump coming in,” Novy said.

“As the ski pulled away I looked and realised how far across I was and I thought, ‘there is no way I am going to make this!’

“I actually looked to see if I could straighten out and avoid it, but it was too late by that stage, I was already locked in.”

“I actually looked to see if I could straighten out and avoid it, but it was too late by that stage, I was already locked in.”

As those in the channel braced to watch the infamous slab claim yet another victim, the mountain of swell stalled momentarily, just enough for Novy to set his line and aim for the exit.

Then another miracle happened, despite the period being a fraction too long causing many waves to shut down that session (such as Damien Martin’s wave), there was just enough water on the shelf to allow the lip to pitch rather than gurgle, and create a barrel so big you could fit a small housing complex inside.

The end result may not be the biggest wave ever witnessed at The Right, or even the heaviest.

But the sheer size of that barrel, combined with how deep Novy managed to get while still making it out, means this has to be in the conversation as one of the biggest barrel rides at the famed West Australian spot.

The wave marks entry number eight for the inaugural Nomad Big Wave Awards

Footage by James Strickland.