On Oct. 27, Carlos Burle surfed a 100-foot monster wave at Nazare, Portugal – the largest wave ever surfed, pending official recognition by Billabong.

Burle’s 100-foot ride bests the previous record set by Garrett McNamera at the same spot two years earlier by over 20 feet. As soon as Burle’s footage leaked on the internet, however, so too came whispers of doubt. One skeptic’s voice raised above the others – Laird Hamilton, inventor of tow-in surfing and one of the greatest surfers of all-time.

A week after Hamilton’s critique, Burle shot back against the big wave pioneer in an interview with National Geographic. “He wasn’t there and has never been there before, so it’s hard for him to make the best judgement about what happened that day,” Burle said.

This likely isn’t the last of the controversy we’ll see around Burle’s massive drop in at Nazare. In May, the “official” big wave record will be announced at the Billabong XXL awards.