Late in October, the first big swell of the season smashed into Portugal’s famed big-wave spot. All the usual suspects were there–Lucas Chumbo, Francisco Porcella, Ross Clarke-Jones, Carlos Burle, Maya Gabeira, Rodrigo Koxa, Pedro Calado, Tom Butler, Axi Muniain, Fred David, Justine Dupont, and many others.
It was, as every giant swell that hit Nazaré inevitably is, a shocker. In the middle of October, the alarm bells sounded. A large purple blob had formed on the charts and the sleepy town battened down the hatches as swarms of big wave surfers descended on it. Of course, it was a false start… but only for a few days. By the 21st of October, the ocean was whipping itself into a frenzy and Nazaré became the monster we all know and love.
