Surfs up! Daredevils brave deadly storms to ride UK’s biggest wave… nicknamed ‘The Widowmaker’

Britain’s stormy weather wasn’t bad news for these daredevil surfers – who risked their lives to ride a wave nicknamed  ‘The Widow Maker’.

The monster wall of water – called The Cribbar – is known as the UK’s biggest wave and was whipped up by 60mph winds.

It is created when low pressure systems in the Atlantic trigger huge swells which rise up as they pass over a rocky shelf called the Cribbar Reef off Newquay, Cornwall.

The Cribbar phenomenon happens just a handful of times every winter between September and April.

It smashed onto Newquay’s Fistral Beach on Wednesday around 1pm amid Britain’s stormy weather.

The Cribbar is actually a short series of waves which have earned the nicknames ‘The Widow Maker’ and ‘The Bone Cruncher’ because of the extreme danger of riding them.

Despite the danger local surfers Ben Skinner and Tom Butler surfed the wave when it crashed in this week.

The amazing photos were taken by local photographer Geoff Tydeman.

He said: ”The Cribbar started coming in with low tide about 1.10pm and lasted a couple of hours until mid tide.

”The surfers are taken out on jetskis so it takes a while to catch each wave. There was a crowd of people watching them.

”It is thrilling to watch. These guys are riding the biggest waves Britain has to offer.”

The Cribbar is considered to be the UK’s biggest wave spot and is well renowned for its volatility, ferocity and power and is only to be taken on by professionals.

The wave became the stuff of legend back in 1966 when three visiting Australian surfers stumbled upon the waves.

Ever since experienced surfers from across the globe have come to take on the challenge.