The rate of progression across womens' action sports has never been so exciting: old benchmarks aren't just being beaten - but exploded. That constant craving to push the boundaries of what was thought possible is what Mazda's Thrillseekers campaign taps into - so to celebrate Nollie are profiling the three most thrilling athletes in surf, skate and snow right now.
Second is big wave conqueror, record breaker and political campaigner Maya Gabeira...
An amazonian charger of monster walls of water, Maya is Brazil's most successful surfer to date - and, after growing up in Rio de Janeiro, is now based in the US surf capital of San Diego.
Here's reasons why we're so stoked on Maya:
1. After winning an ESPY award for Best Female Action Sports Athlete in 2009, later that year, in August, she made a mad dush from her home in Rio to Cape Town, South Africa, to surf the biggest wave ever recorded for woman then - the 45 foot monster at Dungeons Beach. Check out the pic below...!
2. Then in October that year she nabbed an even bigger wave - a record breaker for a woman - the large and heavy Teahupoo in Tahiti - which was nominated for a Billabong XXL Wave Ride of The Year award. Watch the incredible footage and be gobsmacked.
3. She could have gone into the far safer life of politics: her dad, Fernando Gabeira is a leading politician in Brazil, one of the founding member's of the country's Green party.
"Surfing big waves is reflective of your attitude towards life. I think it's something you learn at home. My dad has a really strong character, is incredibly bright and I've learned a lot from him," she told Huck magazine.
"My dad and I are very similar. All the energy he's put into improving the country I have as well - only I've been channelling it into my surfing."
Above: Maya's old man Fernando - the people's politician
4. In 2010 she won the Billabong XXL Girls Best Overall Performance Award - for the fourth year in a row (check out highlights below).
5. And she's only just 23..
Look out for our surfing Thrillseeker tomorrow, and snow on Wednesday...
thrillseekers.mazda.co.uk | mayagabeira.com.br
- The Thrilling Three #2 - Surf: Maya Gabeira
- Video: Ellery Hollingsworth, Carissa Moore, Monyca Byrne-Wickey & Helena Christiansen create debut Nike 6.0 Women's Collection ad
- Nikita Summer collection: onsale online now!
- Video: First Love: three girl surfers' journey to turn pro
- Superpost: I ♥ Vans new sunglasses
- video: Kassia Meador surfs Noosa, Australia
This blog post is brought to you by Mazda Thrillseekers.
Want to try the Mazda experience for yourself? Then enter an exclusive online competition for readers only at zoomzoomweekends.mazda.co.ukhttp://nollie.tv/videos