All eyes are on the Hurley Pro at Trestles right now, and while the Championship Tour surfers deal with injustice, face a reshuffle, and a medium swell on the horizon, what is gearing up for the second half of the Big Wave Tour?
With only one event under the belt for the southern hemisphere, the Puerto Escondido Challenge which was won by Twiggy Baker, there are many expectations on the northern hemisphere and the big wave event still to come. As it gets ready to kick off on October 15, Baker is in the lead and trailed closely by reigning two-time BWT Champion Greg Long (USA), who captured second place at the Puerto Escondido Challenge and 20-year-old Pedro Calado (BRA), who holds onto third place on the rankings.
Twiggy, who won the Mexico event with aplomb, has his heart and mind set on another world title, and has the focus and dedication to do just that. He is in top shape with no injuries, and has stated clearly that he is on the hunt for a title and will do what he needs to do in order to get his second title.
The biggest question mark on the northern hemisphere tour obviously rests on the Nazaré Challenge, set to take place in Portugal. This is one beast of a wave that was the setting for Maya Gabeira nearly drowning under Carlos Burle’s watch, biggest waves ever seen to date, and what many call the biggest mushburger on the planet. From all accounts it looks like a tow-wave, and even then, some of the waves that surfers have been towed into look absolutely gigantic but don't even bother breaking. That’s the surface stuff.
A closer look will reveal some serious dynamics to this wave. It is going to prove an extremely difficult wave to paddle into. A massive face, a feathering lip and the only way to get into one of these monsters will be by paddling very hard under a feathering lip on a set wave. It could be the setting of some of the biggest waves ever surfed in an event, or it could be the setting of the most waves slipping under contestants and not getting caught in the history of the sport. Knowing the surfers on the Big Wave Tour however, giant waves are going to be surfed. Somehow. The big wave tour has a lot at stake, and the surfers are hungry.
Then we have the Pe’ahi Challenge. Good old Jaws. Most mortals would not even be able to manage the rock-jump, a desperate scramble over a solid shorebreak smashing down on a long bed of exposed rocks. Should Jaws produce anything near the last event, won by Billy Kemper, we will have a game on. The opening wave of the webcast of the event, Mark Matthews trying to find his way down a very large face with offshore wind screaming up the face, was cartoonish in it’s size, and instilled shock for people who had just tuned in. It did tear his shoulder from its socket pretty much, and the day just got more gnarly from then onwards, but it was an incredible event to watch.
Other events worth mentioning are obviously the Punta Galea Pro in Basque Country that was won by big-wave upstart and determined competitor Nic Lamb, and the Todos Santos Challenge that was won by the versatile Josh Kerr.
Lamb is one surfer who is gearing up for a big season. “I'm just focused on preparing for the northern hemisphere,” said Lamb on the impending season. ”I’m doing everything I need to do to show up at the events as the absolute best version of myself to compete.“
The Northern Hemisphere leg of the Big Wave Tour has incredible potential to be the most dramatic and the most exciting big wave surfing leg of all time. At the moment however, it’s just potential, until the first real storm reveals itself.
