Surfer Alex Botelho rode a spectacular giant wave in Portugal's Nazaré on Saturday (January 6).

The Portuguese big wave surfer rode what locals described as "the bomb" of the day in Praia do Norte, Nazaré, at the end of an intense session filled with wipeouts, broken boards and capsized jet skis.

Until very recently, and due to its size, most big waves in Nazaré have been surfed with tow-in - where the surfer gets into the wave with the assistance of a jetski. However, here Botelho paddled this huge wave with his bare hands, an unusual feat, given the size of this particular wave and one that has quickly earned the respect of the surf community.

Botelho was the last one in the water when he faced the wave seen here while the other 12 big wave surfers from all corners of the globe - including Lucas Chumbo, Francisco Porcella, Mick Corbet, Hugo Vau, Jarryd Foster, Pedro Calado, Othmane Choufani and others - were back on the beach.

Botelho belongs to a new generation of Portuguese big wave surfers - among them António de Macedo, Hugo Vau, Nic Von Rupp, António Silva - making a name in the sport.

Praia do Norte beach, near the fishing village of Nazaré, has become famous for huge waves since Hawaiian surfer Garrett McNamara set a then-record in 2011 for the largest wave ever surfed, when he rode a 78-foot wave.