Lucas Fink testing what is possible in a wave pool when you tow at the waves. Photo: Lucas Fink TikTok//screenshot
World tour champ Italo Ferreira, big-wave champion Lucas Chumbo, and 5-time skimboard world champ Lucas Fink are a lot of star power to fit into a wave pool at once. The three recently got together at the Boa Vista pool in São Paulo to try a new approach to artificial waves: tow-ats.
The three set up a winch — a machine that pulls surfers on a cable — to hit the wave straight on and then ride it back to where they came from. The first few clips from the session have been posted, showing Fink sliding out to a backside wrap, and Italo doing a full rotation and superman on the same wave. Fink says there are more clips to be released from the session, including a “crazy backflip” by Chumbo.
“With speed you are capable of anything,” Ferreira said of the session. “Playing with the winch of Lucas Fink and Lucas Chumbo — the session was sick all day.”
Fink says the winch session was his idea, inspired by fellow skimboarders, like Blair Conklin, Austin Keen, and John Akerman, who have used the machine.
“I came up with the project, got Italo and Chumbo involved, and they gave me the green light to organize the whole thing,” Fink, who recently announced a sabbatical from competition, told The Inertia.
Fink says they gave the three of them a few hours in the pool to work their magic.
“It was a success for our first trial,” he said. “It showed us how much potential (the winch) has. If we get a little bit more organized with the winch, the timing, the setup, the pool, I’m definitely looking forward to having more opportunities. I think that was just the first of many (winch sessions) for us.”
So far, we’ve seen two clips from the multiple-hour session. We’re looking forward to seeing what else these three managed to pull off in the pool.
@lucasfinkrjUm rolé diferente na piscina 🏄♂️ Hoje realizei o sonho de usar o winch nas ondas artificias e o resultado foi esse já na primeira tentativa. Muito obrigado aos envolvidos nesse projeto – 🎥 @yuneskhader 👨✈️ @breno_benevides 🏠 @jhsfinstitucional @boavistavillage @perfectswell♬ som original – Teoria Cinematográfica
