When the Northern Hemisphere was drained of its winter energy, Dylan Longbottom began feverishly scanning the charts for a forecast boasting back-to-back swells in Australia – the kind that bleeds purple on the screen. 

Dylan wanted a good reason to urge team rider, Lucas ‘Chumbo’ Chianca, to jump a plane to Australia. Ever since they formed a shaper/surfer alliance, Dylan and Chumbo have been trying to coordinate a trip Down Under. The two first connected at Nazare seven years ago, when Chumbo’s ostentatious approach to the super-sized peaks first captivated Dylan.  “I watched him surfing at Nazare – paddling in – on like a 30 – 50-foot day, and it just blew my mind what he was doing. He was trying to do turns and get barrelled on a 10’6” six board.”

Since then, riding Dylan’s boards, Brazilian born Chumbo has redefined the way big waves can be attacked, picking up a suite of awards along the way, including the WSL’s, 2025 Big Wave Surfer of the Year.  Chumbo is comfortable amongst Nazare’s shifting skyscrapers; gouging at sheer-faced pockets, backdooring gaping sections and playfully tossing airs like a fizzing grommet in a three-foot shorey.

Dylan Longbottom and Chumbo chasing down anything and everything on Australia’s East Coast. Photo: Luca Salisbury.

At 6’3”, with legs like pistons, the upper body of a prize-fighter, and a swarthy stubble on his chin, Chumbo has an imposing physical presence even before he hits the brine and his progressive approach has prompted some to suggest he is the best big-wave surfer in the world.

So, when consecutive east and south swells stacked up in mid-autumn, Dylan hit speed dial. Chumbo was in Brazil catching up with family and negotiating sponsor deals after a full season at Nazare, where he bases himself during the Northern Hemisphere ...