Watch: Highlights of the Punta Galea Challenge
Shortly after the hooter blew signalling the end of the Jaws Challenge, finalist Lucas 'Chumbo' Chianca ditched his gear for a late night flight to northern Spain. With him were two other contestants, Nic Lamb and Alex Botelho.
Ten time zones away, the Punta Galea Challenge was preparing to run.
Remember the Punta Galea Challenge? It began as a local big wave comp, then became a feeder competition for the Big Wave Tour, before becoming part of the tour itself in 2013 and 2014. However, as the BWT became ever more wrought by politics the organisers of the Punta Galea Challenge extricated themselves from the bosom of the wozzle and once again ran their own contest. This was the 14th consecutive year the contest has been run.
It was also one of the better years of surf. The point is one of the world's few big wave pointbreaks, not dissimilar to Jardim do Mar in Madeira, however the reef at PG is irregular and unless the swell is extremely clean the lineup becomes too expansive for running heats; clean up sets sweep the pack and successfully ridden waves are few.
Fortunately this year the conditions co-operated - see video below for evidence.
Despite flying half the globe to get there, Chumbo took the win, with last year's winner Pierre Rollet in second. Another Jaws contestant, Alex Botelho, came third.
Comments
Chumbo impressive as usual. And Pierre Rollet, holy shit, he's good.
Basque country is holding, aye.
That last waves was nuuuts.
Dylan Longbottom board for Chianca.... groundbreaking surfing on well worked out boards. A great endorsement for Lucas' approach and Dyl's designs to enable such cutting edge surfing. Sick.
Wow looked cool, great to see a local crew making it happen!!
It looks very sectiony (unlike Jardim). And otherwise very quick. If this is as clean as it gets, I’d hate to see it when the swell is a bit lumpy.
Chumbo then went straight on to Mavericks and scored some crazy lefts...check Powerlinesproductions insta.
Chianco doing his best impression of Occy at a very oversized Jbay. Can only imagine the absolute joy he felt coming out of those turns and resetting his rail going a million miles an hour down the line. So sick!
I really enjoyed that. Paddle in on guns has that true ocean man respect to it
Sheepdog, been awhile since you've been on here, how they hanging?
Very impressive. Lucas doing man turns with style on a big board. How was that last wave? Epic.
That last wave, wow! What a line soo good.
"The point is one of the world's few big wave pointbreaks"
You reckon.??
What do I reckon? That it's not a pointbreak or that there's not many of them.
Tens of thousands of waves in the world, hundreds of big wave spots, yet I can only think of a handful that are legit big wave pointbreaks.
the point came alive excellent riding by all. magic to watch.
the point came alive excellent riding by all. magic to watch.
Chumbo! Airdrops and bunnyhops at Jaws and now this. My new hero.
I heard he's got 15 cats.
.......well......it breaks off a point....that makes it a Point break....I guess? Looks fun ....a lotta fun...
It’s a point break.
That was epic, that last wave was insane, so committed and such a great line, he held his rail strong for that.
that last wave...
And that's just one place of many..Epic stuff there, i just i could of been at both places that day.