As far as events go The Perfect Chapter cuts to the chase, celebrating the fact that nothing quite matches the high of a deep, tube ride for surfers and fans.
Right now several world-class surfers have either arrived or are en route to Carcavelos beach in Portugal, for the Perfect Chapter event, where tube riding is the only element scored.
When I flew in yesterday afternoon, Nathan Hedge and former event winner, Anthony Walsh, were scoping out the banks at Carcavelos as the swell begun to fill in promisingly. The contest will kick off this Sunday at 7am Portugal time (Around 6-7pm on the east coast of Australia and 3-4 pm in the west.) We’ll be streaming it live through the Tracks website.
I ran into Balaram Stack, lugging board bags and a skateboard through the hotel foyer alongside his girlfriend, Eden. The former Vans Pipe Master and Perfect Chapter runner-up, had just long-hauled it for 28hrs from Hawaii and was pumped to be part of the tenth annual Perfect Chapter event. Last night I dined with Walsh, Hedgey and Balaram at authentic Portuguese restaurant, Boteca da Linha, in Estoril. We munched on delicious octopus as they traded tube tales and fishing stories. Everyone’s in a good mood when they know they are going to get barrelled.
Sixteen surfers in total will line up for the unique one-day contest. See the round one match-ups below.
Talking to locals and eying the forecast, all the signs point to a day of offshore-groomed, six-eight foot tunnels. The riveting tube show will play out against a classic, old-worldly backdrop, with the sixteenth century Fort of São Julião da Barra, casting its impenetrable presence at the southern end of the beach.
Viewers in Australia will be able to watch the live stream on the Tracks website from around 6pm on Sunday night on the east coast and 3 pm on the west coast. A full highlights package will be posted the next day but, make sure you dial in live for what promises to be one of the most exciting days of surfing in 2024.
