Chasing Giants in Nazaré - Part 2
Tudor Nazaré Big Wave XXL Contest Report
Hello everyone!
January rains have given way to fake spring, aka sunny days with temps up to 20ºC (low 60s). You’ll hear ZERO complaints from me about this. Even the winter magnolias are in bloom!
This week we checked off a major life bucket list item:
Watching XXL Surfing in Nazaré
Remodel update
Quick hits
Let’s ride the wave!
Watching XXL Surfing in Nazaré
We’ve been lusting after the opportunity to see big wave surfing in Nazaré since long before we moved to Portugal, and we made a trip last year to try and catch this action.
Our first foray resulted in seeing some giant but un-surfable waves (with a lot of sideways rain). Hilary visited again with her mom in November, but to no avail. Turns out, the waves are fickle, and it’s rare that conditions are perfect to surf big waves in Nazaré.
So we signed up for a variety of alerts and watched social media like a hawk.
On Thursday, January 18th, we got the news - the World Surf League had announced their Big Wave XXL contest for the following Monday. We immediately booked a car and Airbnb, and our friend visiting from Hawaii, Tiffany, changed her plans so she could tag along. As a world champion tandem surfer, she wasn’t about to skip this rare opportunity!
What. An. Experience.
We rolled into town on Sunday and went straight to the lighthouse to find a consistent lineup on a perfect sunny day with waves about 5-8 meters and almost no wind.
We sat for hours watching tow-in surfers catch wave after wave, with as many as 20 skis in the lineup at any given time. That alone was worth the trip down.
The next day was simply phenomenal. The clouds and spectators rolled in and the contest was delayed until noon, waiting for the wave energy to build. Once it got rolling, the heats came fast.
We saw big-wave greats like Nick von Rupp (🇵🇹), Maya Gabeira (🇧🇷), Pedro Scooby (🇧🇷), Lucas Chianca (🇧🇷), Andrew Cotton (🇬🇧), Will Skudin (🇺🇸), Sebastian Steudtner (🇩🇪), Michelle Des Bouillons (🇧🇷), and more carving up some serious mountains of water.
The swells kept getting bigger as the day went on, with faces up to 15+ meters (50+ feet!) pounding Praia do Norte. What started as a style contest became one of survival. We saw some tense moments as surfers got trapped and rescued inside, jetskis had to be abandoned, and even the safety team became mired in the wash.
The crowd on the cliff was massive, and between the energy of the ocean and the collective anticipation, it was a really powerful environment.
In the end, Pedro Scooby came away with the win, but the competition was tight, with tons of incredible performances. Seeing it live was beyond anything I could have imagined.
Check out videos here and here.
Remodel Update
Wow, what a difference a couple of months makes. Our apartment is getting close, and it’s simply surreal.
This week our cabinetry is going in, which is a huge part of the buildout. The walls and ceilings are mostly painted. The bathroom tile is 95% done. The lighting and electrical are wired. The new windows have even been installed!
Our big challenge has been working out how to get an American-size refrigerator up our narrow European staircase. The custom kitchen cabinets have been built to suit that fridge, so we can’t downsize. One option is to hire a crane to lift it up from the street to the patio. Yes, this may actually happen.
We are getting to the point where soon the toilets, bathroom fixtures, and cork floors will be installed. Then it’s down to appliances, a couple of coats of paint, and a punch list. We could be in as soon as the end of February, way ahead of schedule.
We have given 90-day notice on our current rental, with a deadline to be out by April 12th. Hopefully, there is enough overlap to allow for a leisurely move and some breathing room for any minor delays.
Our current task now is getting furniture. The place we’re living in is furnished, so we have to buy everything except a bed and mattress.
Portugal is the center of Europe’s furniture fabrication universe, so we can have our furniture custom-made! But can they make it in time? We’ll find out next episode…
Quick Hits
On the way home from Nazaré we stopped by Paços de Ferreira, the “furniture city” of Portugal. The amount of furniture stores/manufacturers here (~4,000) is simply astonishing. We found at least one place that can make our preferred style of natural wood furniture with custom upholstery. Hilary may get the vibrant teal velour chair she has always dreamed about.
Tax season is upon us, and this is the first year that we will have to file in Portugal. Also, the USA is one of only 3 countries in the world that taxes its citizens who live and work overseas, so we have the pleasure of filing there as well. It’s already incredibly confusing. Expect a newsletter diatribe once I figure it all out.
The Portuguese sale season doesn’t stop at Christmas. To our pleasant surprise, January sales go even deeper than the Black Friday/Christmas run. This is perfect timing for us as we prepare to move into our new place, and has saved us thousands on appliance and electronics purchases.
How has your 2024 been so far?
This week’s music comes courtesy of Won M, my life music partner. This album has all sorts of goodness to get you through those long winter months…
Thank you for the updates. It's wonderful following your adventures. We are road tripping with a couple of Kiwi pals beginning in April. We begin in Bilbao, end in Porto. We've rented an apartment from May 1-6 near Carolina Michaelis. After the 6th, we split up and Joel and I head north. That reuben looks killer--where can we find that? Looking forward to seeing you both in Porto. So happy that the renovation is finally moving along! Best to the both of you!
Gosh, it is great to have such a big item off your Bucket list. We have stood at that beach and wondered how people survive those waves. One admires all sports people but these guys and gals are just insane.
The blue tile is spectacular. So glad things are finally coming to head and you will be in your own space so soon. As long as you have the bed the rest of the furniture can wait.