Dec 13 : Brazil’s Lucas “Chumbo” Chianca survived two brutal wipeouts to claim another Nazare Big Wave Challenge title in huge, clean waves in Portugal on Saturday, while France’s Justine Dupont sealed her reputation as the world’s best female big wave surfer with her second straight win.
The unique event saw nine teams of two taking turns using jet skis to tow each other into waves of up to 60 feet in front of thousands of fans lining the cliffs at Praia do Norte near the Portuguese fishing town that has become synonymous with enormous surf. The best team performance was won by Portugal’s Nic von Rupp and France’s Clement Roseyro.
Multiple-time event winner Chianca set the tone with the very first wave of the competition, speeding down a giant left-hander in front of the headland before hitting some turbulence and cartwheeling into oblivion.
“That was a heavy moment for sure, one of the heaviest wipeouts of my life,” Chianca said, praising jet ski rescue driver Sebastian Steudtner who sped in to save him from the churning seas in front of the rocks. “Thank you so much, you saved my life today.”
Chianca’s second scoring wave ended in similarly savage fashion as he tried to exit another towering left-hander but was sucked over the falls and copped several more waves on the head before he could be picked up by a rescue jet ski.
Dupont rode her top two scoring waves successfully, both of the long left-handers that allowed her to show off some big carves.
“It was a crazy day, and I’m so happy with the win,” Dupont said, cradling her trophy and her young son.
The waves at Praia do Norte are amplified by the Nazare Canyon, Europe’s largest undersea trench, which funnels and amplifies already-huge North Atlantic winter swells into towering peaks. Several world records for the largest waves ever surfed have been set there.
Saturday’s competition was called off before a planned second round after an early fog delay and a second hiccup caused by a power outage at the contest site.
