It’s a view that never gets old. Photo: Screenshot BBC//YouTube
Western Europe is preparing to be battered by storm Ingrid, the largest in a series of systems moving across the North Atlantic. Big wave surfer Nic von Rupp is eyeing the forecast for Nazaré, saying it’s possible the system could create the mythical 100-foot wave.
“This is the biggest run of swell we’ve had this year for sure,” von Rupp said on Instagram. “Maybe some of the biggest swells we’ve had in the last couple years. Yes, it could still change. Yes, it could be stormy. But for sure, we are hoping for a window to surf these giant waves during this run of swell.”
“Just for you to have an idea, the Tudor Nazaré Challenge was 60-foot (with) a four-meter at 17 seconds swell,” he continued. “With the amplification of the canyon, we turned out to have 60-foot waves. I mean, what’s a nine-meter swell at 17 seconds going to do once it hits that Nazaré canyon? We could be looking for the 100-foot wave.”
As von Rupp notes, the incoming swells are expected to be larger than those seen at the Nazaré Challenge, though conditions will be tricky. Forecast models are calling for mostly onshore winds. He’s watching for a brief window as the swell builds through Saturday – a day he says is shaping up to be “ginormous.”
The cold front associated with the storm will not only churn up huge waves but will bring extreme weather to land. Portugal will experience “a sharp drop in temperatures, heavy rain, thunderstorms, hail, gale-force winds, and widespread snowfall that could blanket nearly half the country,” according to The Resident. Potentially historic snowfall is expected at elevations as low as 400 meters, which are areas that generally do not receive snow.
Tow surf teams were out at Nazaré on Wednesday, testing the swell forerunners ahead of the big show this weekend. Even after the swell peaks, forecasts are calling for even more storms to churn up massive swell throughout next week – creating a serious run of waves in Europe with plenty of opportunity for riding monsters.
