Surfing
Surfing
Lucas ‘Chumbo’ Chianca goes big to win TUDOR Nazaré Big Wave Challenge
Brazilian supercharger Lucas 'Chumbo' Chianca put on a show of high-performance big wave surfing to secure back-to-back TUDOR Nazaré Big Wave Challenge victories in Portugal.
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The 2023-2024 TUDOR Nazaré Big Wave Challenge was given the green light to run on Monday January 22, as Portugal woke to a day of extra-large swells, light winds and clean waves breaking across the various peaks of Nazaré off the coast of the world-famous Praia do Norte.
While competition was postponed until the afternoon to allow for the tide to fill in, it also allowed more time for the crowd to swell. When the action finally got under way, it played out in front of a clifftop and shoreline packed with thousands of spectators, along with a huge audience watching live all over the world on Red Bull TV – click here to relive the whole show.
Nazaré is surfing's big wave theatre of dreams
© Laurent Masurel/WSL
The single day tow-in TUDOR Nazaré Big Wave Challenge features nine teams of two competing across six 40-minute heats. Each team surfs two heats over the course of the event with the pairs alternating between surfing and towing in the quest for personal and team success.
A surfer's best two waves after both heats count to their individual total score, with waves scored out of 10 points. A surfer's best scores is doubled, giving them a total out of 30. The team's event is determined by combining the two best scores of each surfer on a team, to give them a total out of 60.
Lucas Chianca wins Best Male Performance at TUDOR Nazaré Big Wave Challenge
© World Surf League/Red Bull Content Pool
Brazilian surfer Lucas 'Chumbo' Chianca was once again the star of the show in Portugal, as this year's 40-foot high performance conditions allowed him to showcase his incredible abilities. Although missing his usual tow partner, Chianca's Nazaré prowess is indomitable, and not only did he look the best surfer in the water, but the most comfortable around the huge waves.
This is a dream for me, I never expected to win so many times here!
For the second year running Chianca claimed two trophies, winning Men’s Best Performance, and Team’s Best Performance, alongside countryman Pedro 'Scooby' Vianna. Their fellow Brazilian Maya Gabeira won the Women’s Best Performance Award for a second straight year, beating another the France-born but Brazil-raised Michelle des Bouillons.
Lucas Chianca and Pedro Scooby setting sail for success
© Hugo Silva / Red Bull Content Pool
Chianca put on an incredible show to claim a second straight Men’s Best Performance Award. With regular partner Kai Lenny pulling out injured after a heavy wipeout in Hawaii last week, fellow Brazilian and longtime Nazaré standout Scooby stepped in as Chianca’s team-mate, and the pair wasted no time in finding their rhythm in the open ocean swells.
Lucas Chianca committed and comfortable as ever at Nazaré
© Laurent Masurel/WSL
The close friends were on top of their game picking the best waves in the shifting lineup, with Chianca locking in the event’s best two scores for his progressive approach to riding the massive peaks. The flamboyant goofyfoot surfed the huge waves like a local beachbreak, repeatedly laying into big powerful turns close to the wave’s power source, despite the obvious risks.
“This is a dream for me, I never expected to win so many times here,” said Chianca after his win. “This place is magical, Nazaré has given me everything in my life. This win is probably the most special to me because we were a 100 percent Brazilian team.
"It was such a pleasure to tow with Scooby, one of the guys who pushed me, helped me and inspired me when I first started surfing big waves. I’m really happy to give him back a little bit with our performance today.”
Chianca is now a five-time winner at Nazaré, hoisting four trophies since it switched to a tow format, and one when it was a paddle event. The crowd went crazy whenever the Brazilian stood tall on the podium, with thousands of fans chanting his name from the top of the most famous fort in surfing.
Scooby and Chianca claimed top honours in the Team’s Best Performance Award, overtaking France’s Clement Roseyro and Portuguese surfer Nic Von Rupp in the second last heat, when Chianca towed Scooby into a huge wave and flipped the situation on its head. The Brazilian pair moved into the lead and with only one heat left to run none of the remaining teams could overcome the duo’s score.
Pedro Scooby en route to the Nazaré podium
© World Surf League/Red Bull Content Pool
“I can’t believe it, two days ago I was super sick on my couch in Rio De Janeiro,” said Scooby. “My mom took care of me and Lucas encouraged me and I decided to come. I put all my energy into this, and our team worked really well to take the win. Lucas is so talented, we’ve been surfing together since his first big swells. We talk a lot about everything and have a great connection, so to win with him today is super special.”
Lucas Chianca, Pedro Scooby and Maya Gabeira sweep the field
© Hugo Silva/Red Bull Content Pool
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TUDOR Nazaré Big Wave Challenge results
Men
- Lucas Chianca (Brazil) – 23.33/30
- Clement Roseyro (France) – 21.51/30
- Rodrigo Coxa (Portugal) – 18.66/30
- Sebastian Steudtner (GER) 18.50/30
Women
- Maya Gabeira (Brazil) – 14.00/30
- Michelle des Bouillons (Brazil) – 9.83/30
Teams
- Pedro Scooby (Brazil), Lucas Chianca (Brazil) – 41.16/60
- Nic Von Rupp (Portugal), Clement Roseyro (France) – 37.18/60
- Rodrigo Koxa (Portugal), Vitor Faria (Brazil) – 35.79/60
- Pierre Rollet (France), Rafael Tapia (Chile) – 34.63/60
Re-watch every second of 2024’s TUDOR Nazaré Big Wave Challenge below:
TUDOR Nazaré Big Wave Challenge live
Watch in awe as the world’s best big wave surfers tackle the biggest waves in the world in Nazaré, Portugal.
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