SANTA CRUZ – Every time a massive swell is forecast, Santa Cruz’s hard-charging, big-wave surfer Alessandro “Alo” Slebir can hardly contain himself. Several times each winter, Slebir ...

Alo Slebir during a recent surf trip to Ireland (left) and while riding a potentially historic wave in December off the coast of California. Surfer Alo Slebir, 24, rode a gargantuan wave estimated to ...

To recap, there was Alo Slebir’s estimated 108-footer at Maverick’s; a supposed 98-footer from Nic Von Rupp at Nazaré; and an as-of-yet measured behemoth from Benjamin “Sancho” Sanchis at ...

Surfer Alo Slebir, 24, rode a gargantuan wave estimated to be 108 feet high “It’s the fastest I’ve ever traveled on a surfboard,” Slebir tells PEOPLE. “I’ve never experienced a sensation like that ...

Alo Slebir during a recent surf trip to Ireland (left) and while riding a potentially historic wave in December off the coast of California. Surfer Alo Slebir, 24, rode a gargantuan wave estimated ...