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.
Red Bull was there to catch the action. Filmed and edited by filmmaker Alex Laurel with additional drone footage by the local team Máquina Voadora – Produções.
