Nic von Rupp lives and breathes Nazaré. He waits all year for the giant Atlantic swells that funnel all their energy through that deep-water canyon. And this year, everything he ever could have hoped for showed up in the form of the Century Swell. But with the Century Swell came crowds — and crowds aren’t a good thing when there’s a pandemic. The area was packed to the gills with spectators, and there were so many of them that officials decided to ban surfing. A strange decision, because the crowds are the problem, not the surfing, and the ban punishes surfers, not spectators.
“There were 20,000 people on the beach in Nazare,”von Rupp said. “That was some of the most insane crowds I’ve ever seen. It felt like you were in a football stadium.”
So now, with his favorite spot off limits Nic von Rupp is focussing whatever energy he has left after a week at maxed-out Nazaré on other places near his home. It’s a wave-rich coastline, after all.
“Nazare really takes all my energy out,” he said. “The swell happened a week ago, and I’m still trying to recover from it. There are so many other waves in Portugal; so many other waves I’d like to explore but I don’t get the chance. For example today: it’s ten-foot and offshore. I would be at Nazaré training with my partners. But I’m down here in the southern coast exploring some corners… life is not only about Nazaré.”
