The TUDOR Nazaré Big Wave Challenge was a success, with the same duo as last year winning (video summary)

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The green alert was announced on December 12 by the WSL – World Surf League and, as has happened every year, all the big wave riders headed towards Nazaré, more specifically Praia do Norte, a place that has already “woken up” several times this month with a series of swells, some of the best in recent years (see videos).

The biggest tow-in challenge of the season

After a start to December like we haven’t seen for a long time, the adrenaline has been pumping once again at Praia do Norte, and the big wave surfing world has once again focused its attention on Nazaré, following the forecast for December 13 of a set of giant waves on the Atlantic horizon, with the iconic underwater canyon erupting, with the arrival of a special tow-in event, another edition of the TUDOR Nazaré Big Wave Challenge.

The world’s big wave surfing elite returned to Nazaré

The protagonists of this spectacle are some of the best big riders on the planet. Names that need no introduction, already used to dealing with the sheer, indomitable power of the Nazaré wave, are already on their way to this fishing village.

Let’s remember that this big wave championship is supported by tow-in, where a jet ski is used to give the surfer speed so that he can catch waves that would be impossible by paddling, the only way to tame what is expected: waves of stratospheric size.

This was the list of invited big wave surfers:

• Team 1: Nic von Rupp (POR) | Clement Roseyro (FRA)
• Team 2: Lucas “Chumbo” Chianca (BRA) | Pedro “Scooby” Vianna (BRA)
• Team 3: Andrew Cotton (GBR) | Ben Larg (SCO)
• Team 4: Rodrigo Koxa (BRA) | Vitor Faria (BRA)
• Team 5: Rafael Tapia (CHL) | Pierre Rollet (FRA)
• Team 6: Benjamin Sanchis (FRA) | Jerome Sayhoun (MAR)
• Team 7: Justine Dupont (FRA) | Eric Rebiere (FRA)
• Team 8: Michelle des Bouillons (BRA) | Ian Cosenza (BRA)
• Team 9: Laura Crane (GBR) | António Laureano (POR)

The surfers were awarded prizes in the following categories:

• Best Male Performance:
  • Lucas “Chumbo” Chianca (BRA)
    • The surfer (male) who achieves the highest combined score from his two best scoring waves.

• Best Female Performance:
  • Justine Dupont (FRA)
    • The (female) surfer who achieves the highest combined score from her two best scoring waves.

• Best Team Performance:
  • Nic von Rupp (POR) | Clement Roseyro (FRA)
    • The team that achieves the highest combined total score from the two best scoring waves from both team members.

If you couldn’t make it, here’s a summary of all the action.

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