If there are two surfers in the world that attract a following, they’re Bruce Irons and Bobby Martinez. And if there is one wave in the world that attracts a global following, it’s Nazaré. Of course, Nazaré has its fair share of detractors, but they’re becoming more of a rarity now that the world has realized that it is indeed a very, very big wave. And now, after surf fans around the world made their choice, Bruce Irons, Bobby Martinez, and a whole lot more could be headed there for a tube riding contest.
While Nazaré is normally known for its huge, sloping waves, it also holds incredibly powerful barrels, perfect for a tube riding contest. With a three month holding period from January 17th to March 17, Billabong’s 5th annual Allianz Perfect Chapter chose its contestants through online polling, giving the public the chance to pick who they watch. The event is held on one day only–and hopefully, it’ll turn out to be a perfect one.
Twenty-four surfers were picked by event organizers for the public to choose from, and Bruce Irons, Pedro “Scooby” Vianna, Miguel Tudela, Marco Giorgi, Damien Hogbood, and Bobby Martinez were just a few of the ones chosen.
Joining them from the Portuguese category are Nic von Rupp, Tiago Pires, João Guedes, Francisco Alves, Miguel Blanco and Alex Botelho, along with Bruno Grilo, who scored the wildcard slot. Koa Rothman and Ruben Gonzalez round out the list as wildcards as well.
When the event runs, the 16 surfers will compete for €10.000 for the win, as well as performance prizes. Since it’s basically a tube riding contest, the event will only be run on the best day of Europe’s winter.
