In most places, the chance of dying while surfing is relatively low. You can paddle out to the majority of spots on the majority of days without much worry of death. But some places, especially on big days, are a little different. Take Nazaré, for example. On the biggest of the big days, a Personal water craft is absolutely necessary, not only to get into the wave, but to get you out of the way should things go badly.
For years, Nazaré at its biggest wasn’t ever considered surfable. Then the main industry that kept the pretty little town afloat shit the bed. The fishing industry came in and scooped everything out of the sea, and in a few short years, the main source of income for the town disappeared. Nazaré officials came up with a plan, and it involved the ridiculously big waves that broke off that now-famous lighthouse.
It’s a pretty fascinating story (which can be read in-depth here), but in short, Garrett McNamara was enlisted to show the world what was possible. And within a few short years — some of which were full of ridicule — Nazaré had hoed, planted, watered, and reaped the rewards of tourist dollars.
But as the place gets more and more popular and the race for the biggest wave ever speeds up, the huge surf is getting packed. Personal water crafts fly around, mostly piloted by people who know what they’re doing, thankfully, and the lineup is packed with surfers vying for the biggest waves of their lives. One such person is Lucas Chumbo, who has established himself as one of the best out there. When it’s big, Chumbo is charging. He’s got a pile of awards under his belt, including a Nazaré Challenge award, but more importantly, he’s known as a guy who can do it all out there.
To be a Nazaré surfer means a whole lot more than just riding a wave. It’s driving the ski, towing other surfers in, and having the skill and knowledge to get people out of the inevitable hairy situations. And, most importantly of all, it means having the right rescue skills should they become necessary.
In the video above, a bit of that skill is exhibited. Lucas Chumbo and Kalani Lattanzi paired up with a ski and a surfboard, and when things went wrong, all that skill and knowledge proved extraordinarily useful.
