The yellow light is on, and it’s likely to turn green soon. Photo: Pedro Soares/Perfect Chapter
One of the world’s finest surf contests has just decided to turn on the yellow light. The Perfect Chapter powered by Billabong looks likely to run on February 28 or March 1, depending on conditions.
“The swell forecast looks promising for next week,” organizers wrote. “We’re expecting a strong swell for Carcavelos.”
Of course, these things are up in the air until the very last minute, as proven recently by The Eddie. But all fingers are crossed, especially the ones belonging to the surfers who were lucky enough to be invited.
It’s an incredible contest — one of the best in the world, for many more reasons than the wave alone — because it only runs when the conditions are flawless. If they’re not during the long waiting period, well… better luck next year.
“We have a commitment to the fans where we only give the go-ahead for the contest when we can guarantee a proper show,” said Rui Costa, the man in charge of the whole thing. “We have the best tube riders in the world in the Perfect Chapter, guys who can go out and get 10-point rides in conditions that are practically impossible for the average surfer, so we’ll wait for a day that can put them to the test.”
While the event is a roving one that’s been held at Nazaré and Supertubos, this year it’s held at Carcavelos Beach, a fickle place that, when everything lines up, offers up some of the best barrels in the world. It’s not an easy place to surf, though. A few years ago, I surfed there the day after the event and had my ass handed to me for about four hours straight. It certainly gave me even more of an appreciation for what the world’s best are able to do.
“The wave is really good when it works,” Nic von Rupp told me before the 2020 contest. “It’s 20 minutes from Lisbon. There’s local support from Lisbon, and the Perfect Chapter is all about great waves. Carcavelos has that — on its day, it’s fucking insane. You have to be on it in terms of forecasting, though. It’s a tough one. It’s an amazing beach break, but it’s not an everyday thing.”
Which, of course, is what makes the day that the Perfect Chapter runs so special. Keep an eye out here or on Capituloperfeito.com.
