While Pipeline keeps the CT graduates busy, some of the world’s best beyond the tour are waiting for the call to be made for the fabled, Capitulo Perfeito, tube riding event. The event’s three-month waiting period, (Jan-11, March11) ensures the contest always gets the single day of good waves it requires to run. However, while we wait for the North Atlantic Ocean and the throttling, Portuguese funnels of Carcavelos beach to roar to life, it’s worth speculating on who will get the event’s final wildcard slot.

“This is truly a last-minute wildcard,” explains event organiser Rui Costa.  “We are keeping an eye on the greatest performances in Europe and around the world but only when we make the call will we decide who are we addressing the final invitation to. Mostly because we also have to rely on the surfers’ agenda and availability to make the final decision.”

Noa Deane, Rob Machado, Clay Marzo, Balaram Stack, Bruno Santos, Aritz Aranburu, Craig Anderson, and Noah Beschen are already primed to go toe-to-toe in the tube.  “We set the prize money at an historic high this year ($50 000 Euro purse), which in itself is a sign of how much we value the surfers and their performances,” explains Costa.

Meanwhile, the wildcard will only be announced 48hrs before the contest kicks off. It does leave a lot of room for speculation. There are some big names floating out there in the wind.

“Of course, surfers like John John, Dane Reynolds, Nathan Florence and Kelly Slater meet the profile of who we want to have in our event,” insists Rui. “When we address the final invitation, to whoever it may be, we’ll make sure to let them know how much we want them to join the Capitulo Perfeito family and how well we are going to welcome them to Carcavelos and to our event. Then, it is up to them to manage any commitments or bureaucratic issues they may have.”

Stay tuned for the wildcard announcement. The Capitulo Perfeito event will stream live on Tracksmag.com.au