Los Angeles ( CNN ) -- Fourteen meters . It 's the same height as a four-story building . Or three London double-decker buses . Or , if your imagination will stretch that far , two Tyrannosaurus Rexes standing on each other 's shoulders . For Brazilian big wave hunter Maya Gabeira , it 's also the size of a very different beast -- and one which she conquered with record-breaking skill and bravery in 2009 . Four years ago , the fearless surfer rode a monster 14-meter wave in Cape Town , South Africa -- the biggest swell ever surfed by a woman . It 's a feat that would make even the most experienced surfer quake in their boots . But in the notoriously male-dominated world of big wave surfing , this ballsy 26-year-old is n't just keeping up with the men -- she 's giving them a run for their money . `` The adrenalin is a huge part of it , '' said Gabeira . `` It 's the ocean at its strongest . '' `` It 's really unique to be able to be in harmony with that , to be part of that crazy moment out there riding the waves , when most harbors shut down and everyone goes to shore . '' A wild ride . As the name suggests , big wave surfing is n't your average family-friendly pastime . Instead , it is a dangerous extreme sport , requiring hefty equipment , specialized training in underwater breathing , and nerves of steel . Riders are towed out to sea on jet skis , coming face-to-face with waves ranging from six-meters to 30-meters , with the possibility of plunging up to 15-meters below the surface if they come off their board . As 11-time world champion surfer Kelly Slater recently admitted , big wave surfing `` is a whole different ball game '' to normal surfing , which had claimed the lives of many of his friends . But for daring Gabeira , it 's an obsession worth taking the risk for : `` It 's such a rare process to get really big waves , for them to hit perfectly , '' she said . `` It 's such a special moment that you live for . Whereas small waves you can surf everyday , they 're always out there . '' Young gun . Gabeira grew up in Rio de Janeiro , the daughter of radical Green Party politician Fernando Gabeira , who took part in the kidnap of U.S. ambassador Charles Burke Elbrick in the 1960s . She started surfing at 14 , before moving to Australia and Hawaii in her late teens . At 18 Gabeira rode her first big wave in Hawaii , and admits that from that moment she was hooked . `` It was pretty nerve wracking , '' she said . `` I knew already that I wanted to do that , but when I actually did it for the first time , and felt like I had gotten in that level of big waves , I felt really addicted . '' With her famous father , striking looks , and record-breaking rides , Gabeira has since become one of the best known female surfers in the world , winning the prestigious ESPY Award for Female Sports Athlete of the Year in 2009 . Science of surf . For Gabiera , finding big waves has nothing to do with luck . It 's a fine science , involving reading complex weather maps -- and being prepared to fly across the world with just a day 's notice . `` Twenty years ago you had to be in Hawaii and spend six months of the year there , and when the swell came , the swell came , and you rode it , '' said Gabiera . `` Nowadays we have the internet and the forecasting and you get to choose where to go , when to go , and you get more opportunities to be in the right place at the right time . '' As the technology behind predicting waves advances , so too does the equipment used to conquer them . Gabiera wears life jackets filled with oxygen cartridges , in case of emergencies . `` In case something happens , I can pull a cord which breaks open the tube of O2 , '' explained Gabeira . `` It inflates on my back and I get lifted up -- hopefully . '' Deep breaths . One of the biggest dangers Gabiera faces is being held under water for two or more consecutive waves . The gutsy surfer must be prepared to hold her breath for minutes at a time , doing free diving training exercises in preparation . `` I have a few great trainers who have taught me a lot about my breathing and how to exchange the CO2 and not blackout , '' said Gabeira . But ultimately for Gabeira , surfing is more than a sport -- it 's art . `` It 's self expression , everyone surfs differently , no wave is the same , '' she said . `` It takes me out of the real world and gives me a different perspective . It 's just special . ''
Brazilian surfer Maya Gabeira rode 14-meter wave , biggest for a female . Celebrity surfer travels world riding monster waves , in dangerous sport . ` ` The adrenaline is a huge part of it , '' she says . '" I think the best way to describe surfing is that you are on top of this giant wall and