Competition got underway bright and early yesterday morning at Nazaré’s Praia do Norte for the World Surf League (WSL) TUDOR Nazaré Tow Surfing Challenge presented by Jogos Santa Casa. A beautiful sunny day and clean, offshore 40-to-50 foot bombs set the scene for what would be an epic showcase of the world’s best big wave surfers pushing the performance bar in Portugal.

Lucas Chianca (BRA) was quick to set the scale on the very first wave of the event, fading right with a 360 spin in the middle of the wave face before racing on a high line on the left to score a nice barrel vision. His compatriot Pedro Scooby (BRA) was hands down the most impressive surfer out in the lineup in the first half of the day as he set himself up for the biggest, deepest barrels, and eventually scored a clean exit with the spit to take the top spot on the leaderboard after the first three heats, courtesy of a near-perfect 9.50 score (out of a possible 10).
“It was a crazy heat,” Scooby said. “We chose the wrong waves at the beginning and I was going crazy but Nic (Von Rupp) calmed me down and ended up putting me on a bomb. His driving put me in the perfect spot and I just did the rest, the barrel was really good.”

Andrew Cotton on a bomb above.

Kai Lenny (HAW) did his part of the job to take his duo up top the team leaderboard, scoring some nice rides on the lefts of Nazaré but not quite managing to find the hollow sections his partner Chianca was all over.

“It’s so much fun out there, two heats is just not enough,” Lenny said. “Our first heat ended chaotically but that’s why we come here, to charge. The second was better, Lucas got such a nice wave. It’s not massive but it’s always big in Nazaré.”

On the women’s side of the draw, Justine Dupont (FRA, above) held the lead after her first two sessions with good waves but was on the wrong end of an interference call which opened the door for her opponents Maya Gabeira (BRA) and Michelle des Bouillons (BRA) in their second go at the Portuguese lineup.
Des Bouillons stayed extremely busy in the lineup, surfing maybe the most rides out of the field but struggled to find the deep sections and was always a little away on the shoulder, hindering her scores. 

“It was amazing,” Des Bouillons stated. “It’s really pretty out there but a lot harder than it looks. There’s a lot of bumps so I tried to control as much as I could and I’m happy with my performance.”

When the dust settled on the six, 50-minute heats, the leaderboard standings post first round remained accurate as Lucas Chianca (BRA) walked away with the Men’s Best Performance award for his ferocious attack of the big lefts earlier this morning. Towed in by his partner, and 2020 winner Kai Lenny (HAW), the Brazilian rising star of the big wave world got his time to shine and stepped up with a massive performance.

“It’s an honor to be towing and be Kai’s partner,” Chianca said. “He definitely put me on the best waves of the day for sure and we did our best out there. This is one of the best performances of my life and I’m so stoked.”

The pair successfully defended their 2020 title as the combined efforts of Lenny and Chianca once again put their team atop the leaderboard for the Best Team Performance award.

“It’s a dream-come-true working with someone like Lucas (Chianca) because we’re so like-minded,” Lenny added. “We go out and we know the exact waves we want and we’re trying to push our performance as far as we can in the airs, barrels and turns, and we’re just having so much fun out there.”

Despite a close call in her second heat, with the interference that could have cost her the victory, Justine Dupont (FRA) also managed to retain her title. Her attack of the rights and lefts, carving on the massive wave faces proved once again unmatchable as she claimed back-to-back Women’s Best Performance award.

“This is definitely team work and Pierre (Rollet) was amazing,” Dupont said. “We started coming here to Nazaré together a long time ago so it was awesome to partner with him today and with Fredo on the safety ski. We had so many friends around and it was just so sick to have all our favorite people there to share this.”

Pressure was definitely palpable in the final heat of the day as Pedro Scooby (BRA) was chasing a relatively low score to push his name and his team atop the leaderboard. The bomb he needed unfortunately never manifested and he had to settle for the second spot in the individual rankings. 
But the Brazilian powerhouse’s morning exploits, scoring the deepest tubes and taking maximum risks to put himself in the sketchiest sections won him the Jogos Santa Casa Most Committed Award.

“It was a beautiful day in Nazaré, I love this place,” Scooby said. “Nic (Von Rupp) deserves a lot of credit for this win, I’m just here to have fun, I don’t have the same level of focus that they have. He pushes me a lot and I really enjoyed being out there.” 

Maya Gabeira on fire above.

With the TUDOR Nazaré Tow Surfing Challenge pres. by Jogos Santa Casa completed yesterday, the best big wave surfers on the planet will now shift their focus to the Pacific and track swells around Hawaii in anticipation of the Quiksilver Jaws Big Wave Challenge presented by TUDOR.

The TUDOR Nazaré Tow Surfing Challenge pres. by Jogos Santa Casa is proudly supported by TUDOR, Jogos Santa Casa, Red Bull, Corona, Hertz, MEO, Portuguese Waves, Visit Portugal, Oeste Portugal, and Nazaré City Council.
The TUDOR Nazaré Tow Surfing Presented by Jogos Santa Casa was broadcast LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com and YouTube, as well as the free WSL app. The same platforms offer an array of replay content, from the full day of action to cutdowns of the best action, highest scores, interviews and more.

For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.

Team USA celebrates Team Gold Medal. Photo: ISA / Ben Reed

The surf pumped throughout a dramatic finals day in Pismo Beach for the 2021 ISA World Para Surfing Games, leading home-team USA to their second gold medal in the Para Surfing Team Championship.

Team USA acquired a trilogy of gold medals courtesy of Liv Stone, Sarah Bettencourt and Jose Martinez. The two women used a combination of clever heat strategy and solid surfing to back up their 2020 wins in Stand 1 and Prone 1 respectively, while Martinez pushed his teammate Jesse Billauer to the bitter end in the last heat of the day, the Men’s Prone 2 final.

“I’m always proud to be a veteran, but this is on the ultimate level,” said Martinez. “To represent my country for a new sport that’s coming out, that I see as absolutely epic and is going to be so meaningful for the rest of the world, not just for us. I am grateful and I am honoured.”

Melissa Reid (ENG) made it three in a row. Photo: ISA / Ben Reed

Four former champions find magic in the number three

The number three was the order of the day for four returning champions who each claimed their third gold medal. Para Surfing pioneers Mark “Mono” Stewart (AUS) and Alcino “Pirata” Neto both saw themselves back on top, while Victoria Feige (CAN) and Melissa Reid (ENG above) made it three in a row, as the first two women to win three gold medals in Para Surfing history.

“The girls are all charging and I love to see that,” said Feige. “I think we’re going to keep raising the level of adaptive surfing.”

Roy Calderon and Jimena Ruiz deliver first wins for Costa Rica

Costa Rica achieved their first two Para Surfing gold medals, with both Roy Calderon and Jimena Ruiz improving on previous results to find success in Men’s Visually Impaired 2 and Women’s Stand 2 respectively.

“I worked three shifts and gave up all of my vacation time to pay for my travel,” Calderon said. “I’m so happy to win this for all of Costa Rica!”

Audrey Pascual adding another medal for team Spain. Photo: ISA / Sean Evans

Two women found themselves wearing gold around their necks for the first time. In the Women’s Visually Impaired 1 final Marta Paço (POR) put early pressure on the rest of the field and didn’t let up on her way to a convincing win. A dynamic final defined Joyce Neumueller’s (AUS) victory in Women’s Prone 2, with the lead constantly changing before she posted an 8.00 and sealed the deal in her first appearance on the international stage.

Outstanding performances across multiple divisions raise the bar

Leaving his best for last, Fellipe Kizu Lima, opened the Sit final with the highest single wave score of the event, a 9.83. With a backup of an 8.93, the Brazilian accumulated a total of 18.76 to deliver the highest heat score of the championship and beat his own previous record of the second highest total in Para Surfing history.

Brazilian legend Alcino “Pirata” Neto was challenged by new generation athletes. Photo: ISA / Ben Reed

It was team Israel who saw themselves victorious in Men’s Stand 2. The ever-exuberant Adi Klang kissed the sand as he clung to his nation’s flag, an impressive performance increasing his gold medal count. Klang’s teammate Nachman Balulu won his first silver medal.

Also going one and two for their country, defending champion of Men’s Stand 1, Mike Richards Vaz (BRA), collected his second gold medal over his teammate Jonathan Borba in silver, though Richards left it to the final moments to catch the wave that took him from fourth place to first.

Hansen retains record as Para Surfing’s most successful
Men’s Prone 1 brought the drama as Hawaii’s Casey Proud came convincingly close to taking the win away from the undefeated Bruno Hansenof Denmark. However, Hansen retained his record as the winningest participant in Para Surfing history, earning himself an unprecedented sixth gold medal.

Sending his love around the world, Hansen said, “I’d like to dedicate this to all the teams that couldn’t make it to this event this year. This gold medal is for you guys.”

Roy Calderon from Costa Rica and the first gold for the team. Photo: ISA / Ben Reed

ISA President Fernando Aguerre said:

The getting together of the top para surfers of the world at the ISA World Championship matters a lot.

Firstly, for the actual competitors and their families and friends at home.

Secondly for the thousands and thousands of para surfers around the world.

Thirdly for the people with different abilities that today don’t surf for any reason.

And finally for the rest of the world as a way to remember that impossible is nothing.

Para Surfing belongs in the Paralympic Games. Getting in is as difficult as getting in the Olympic Games. And I know something about this subject.
But two days ago, the Executive Board of the IOC voted to include surfing as a permanent sport in the Olympics. So, getting in the Paralympic Games might be a bit easier now.

And last, but certainly not the least, I wanted to share my biggest hope: I hope that this event brings hope to the rest of the world. Making the world better through surfing and para surfing.

Thank you Pismo.

Peace, love and surf!!!”