Green Alert for Nazare Tow Comp

Nazaré, Portugal (Monday, February 7, 2022) - The World Surf League (WSL) TUDOR Nazaré Tow Surfing Challenge Presented by Jogos Santa Casa is preparing to start the competition on Thursday, February 10 at Praia do Norte in Nazaré, Portugal. The TUDOR Green Alert was issued, meaning there is a high likelihood to run the competition, and event organizers will share the next competition update on Thursday, February 10, at 8:30 a.m. GMT.

The call has been made to 18 of the best big wave surfers on the planet to start making their way towards Portugal for the tow-in surfing competition in Nazaré. Forecasts indicate ideal winds and clean conditions, with waves in the 40-to-55-foot range.

The TUDOR Nazaré Tow Surfing Challenge Presented by Jogos Santa Casa will be a one-day, specialty event with tow-in surfing teams. There will be nine teams made up of two competitors in each team. The teams will be divided into three groups with three teams in each group. The competition will have a total of six 60-minute heats, where each group will participate in two heats, with each team alternating between surfing and driving the team’s jet ski.

A surfer’s best two waves after surfing both heats will count to an individual total score, with the best wave counting as double points. In total, a surfer’s maximum individual score will be 30 points, as each wave is scored from 1-10 points. Surfers will be awarded across multiple categories at the end of the competition day. 

TUDOR Nazaré Tow Surfing Challenge pres. by Jogos Santa Casa Invitees:

  • Team Red: Lucas Chianca (BRA), Nic Von Rupp (PRT)
  • Team Cyan Blue: Justine Dupont (FRA), Antonio Laureano (FRA)
  • Team Brown: Andrew Cotton (GBR), Will Skudin (USA)
  • Team Pink: Rodrigo Koxa (BRA), Eric Rebiere (FRA)
  • Team Green: Axi Muniain (EUK), Francisco Porcella (ITA)
  • Team Blue: Michelle Bouillons (BRA), Ian Cosenza (PRT)
  • Team Yellow: Rafael Tapia (CHL), Jaime Mitchell (AUS)
  • Team Purple: Joao de Macedo (PRT), Antonio Silva (PRT)
  • Team Black: Maya Gabeira (BRA), Pierre Caley (FRA)


Four awards will be distributed at the end of the day: 

  • Men’s Best Performance: Male surfer with the highest 2 scoring waves
  • Women’s Best Performance: Female surfer with the highest 2 scoring waves
  • Best Team Performance: Total of best two scoring rides of both team riders
  • Jogos Santa Casa Most Committed Award: Awarded to the surfer who shows the most commitment throughout the day

Comments

Plasticspastic's picture
Plasticspastic's picture
Plasticspastic Tuesday, 8 Feb 2022 at 2:42pm

it can't be a tow event without Kai Lenny

cj_wilson_indo's picture
cj_wilson_indo's picture
cj_wilson_indo Tuesday, 8 Feb 2022 at 3:03pm

Wasn't the last 'TUDOR Nazaré Tow Surfing Challenge presented by Jogos Santa Casa' less than 2 months ago? Kai and Lucas won?

How does this all work?

stunet's picture
stunet's picture
stunet Tuesday, 8 Feb 2022 at 3:08pm

Yeah it's a little weird.

The comp you mention was the last contest of 2021 - which oddly had a waiting period stretching to 31st March, 2022.

This contest is the first contest of 2022. The waiting period started eight days ago.

thermalben's picture
thermalben's picture
thermalben Tuesday, 8 Feb 2022 at 3:17pm

How very odd.

Nazare (with the same two sponsors) is Stop 1 and Stop 2 on a 3-Stop Big Wave World Tour.

Even weirder, Stop 1 (which has a 2 month waiting period, beginning Feb 1) started three months AFTER Stop 2, which has a 5 month waiting period.

At the same location.

cj_wilson_indo's picture
cj_wilson_indo's picture
cj_wilson_indo Tuesday, 8 Feb 2022 at 3:25pm

Don't think they thought that one through... Just seems a bit ridiculous. They need to change it up... What about Mavericks? Todos Santos? Cortes? Ireland (Mullaghmore, Aileens, etc)? The venue of that particular Intense Wave Invitational in 2009 (better not name it)?

gragagan's picture
gragagan's picture
gragagan Tuesday, 8 Feb 2022 at 3:39pm

I find the Nazare tow comps boring. The only thing I watched from the last one was the skis getting smashed. Unless there's a chance of it being record-breakingly huge I won't be looking forward to it.
A mobile comp every year would be good. There's so many good big wave spots around the world, they could pick 2 or 3 as possible locations, with a 2 or 3 or 6 month waiting period. The first one that reaches the requirements gets to run. Then next year that spot gets dropped and a new location added to the list. It would be so much more interesting. I'd definitely be looking forward to watching say Cow Bombie, or Dungeons, or Killers. Cortes Bank. Cloudbreak. Outside Corner. There's so many. Nazare sucks.

adam12's picture
adam12's picture
adam12 Tuesday, 8 Feb 2022 at 6:18pm

Only the WSL could make big wave surfing boring.
"18 of the best", not one Hawaiian.

Tim Bonython's picture
Tim Bonython's picture
Tim Bonython Monday, 14 Feb 2022 at 8:12am

Most of the Hawaiians are not interested especially when there is large waves/swells forecast in there own backyard.

Theboyhasnoname's picture
Theboyhasnoname's picture
Theboyhasnoname Monday, 14 Feb 2022 at 9:21am

Surely they are interested when a contest is at stake? They're profiles would be much smaller without competitions.

PoorGoofy's picture
PoorGoofy's picture
PoorGoofy Wednesday, 9 Feb 2022 at 9:16am

Further 50% South American, and a chappy from a country that is only girt by sea (i.e. not ocean). The US contingent must have done something very naughty when last in town?

flollo's picture
flollo's picture
flollo Wednesday, 9 Feb 2022 at 2:03pm

This format doesn't make sense at all, they're really struggling with securing more events. Money must be tight in WSL.

freeride76's picture
freeride76's picture
freeride76 Wednesday, 9 Feb 2022 at 2:27pm

it's really hard to discern from the WSL website.

Is this part of a Big Wave world tour, or is that totally cancelled?

Where-is-albo's picture
Where-is-albo's picture
Where-is-albo Thursday, 10 Feb 2022 at 7:34pm

It’s on at 8pm according to WSL. Might have to go on hold if the fog continues to hang about.

gragagan's picture
gragagan's picture
gragagan Thursday, 10 Feb 2022 at 8:15pm

Yep it's on now but can't see much, bit foggy

freeride76's picture
freeride76's picture
freeride76 Thursday, 10 Feb 2022 at 8:25pm

Can anyone explain the format?

gragagan's picture
gragagan's picture
gragagan Thursday, 10 Feb 2022 at 8:25pm

wtf
Just saw a ski flying off the back of a peak with no rider, and the dude towing lost it too and went over the falls, right on the apex of the peak...

freeride76's picture
freeride76's picture
freeride76 Thursday, 10 Feb 2022 at 8:29pm

it was far more entertaining as a paddle event.

Where-is-albo's picture
Where-is-albo's picture
Where-is-albo Thursday, 10 Feb 2022 at 8:44pm

Yeah it was far more engaging as a paddle comp. 10 minutes and done.

thermalben's picture
thermalben's picture
thermalben Thursday, 10 Feb 2022 at 8:43pm

Been watching for ten minutes - stream has dropped out a few times, then the audio dropped for a few mins, haven’t seen a single wave ridden but heard a lot about Pete Mel’s JetSki modifications!

thermalben's picture
thermalben's picture
thermalben Thursday, 10 Feb 2022 at 8:44pm

And now just got the ‘we are experiencing technical difficulties, please stand by’ screen.

thermalben's picture
thermalben's picture
thermalben Thursday, 10 Feb 2022 at 8:46pm

Ok streams back! And someone is surfing.. but it’s so foggy I can’t see ‘em.

Robwilliams's picture
Robwilliams's picture
Robwilliams Thursday, 10 Feb 2022 at 9:59pm

Clint Kimmins wotd looks to be paddle? Is he still there and is that his seasons focus. Can Tim B give us a heads up of the Australians still floating around for Naz if he's still there. As Twiggy the the mad South African has gone to Hawaii from what I last read.

Tim Bonython's picture
Tim Bonython's picture
Tim Bonython Monday, 14 Feb 2022 at 8:15am

Only Clint, minus Jamie who's laid out with a broken back re his last wave in the final heat. PS Jamie will make a full recovery but certainly not over night. At best back in the water in 3 months.

Robwilliams's picture
Robwilliams's picture
Robwilliams Thursday, 10 Feb 2022 at 10:20pm

Just had a little read of Clints story, And his turning point. Hope he's enjoying every drop he takes.

Remigogo's picture
Remigogo's picture
Remigogo Thursday, 10 Feb 2022 at 10:21pm

Here's hoping Sunset isn't big, barrelling fat shouldered.

Big, barrelling and open smiley faces for all preferred.

bluediamond's picture
bluediamond's picture
bluediamond Friday, 11 Feb 2022 at 2:22am

So i sat through most of the last few hours of the event. Really struggle to see what the entertainment value as a contest is. It's a super loose format, someone wins but it's not really overly celebrated. There's a leader board that stays pretty static throughout, the eventual winner had already won 3 hours earlier, nobody overtook him. I don't understand the scoring as most waves looked the same.
This is to take nothing away from the surfing. What they're doing is absolutely incredible, and i feel the arena is almost downplayed and not shown for what it is in the coverage. Alot of close up stuff, whereas i think for such an immense arena, more beach angles, more sweeping shots of the lineup while there's no waves being ridden...
Just seems like it's a meandering plotless day of tow surfing with a leaderboard attached to it.
But....and it's a big but, i missed Lucas Chianco's heat.
When i saw the highlights of it, that changed everything.
That dude is pushing tow surfing into the stratosphere. So with that in mind you can almost see that this painstakingly slow and repetitive competition format is finally starting to bear some fruits. He did a 30 foot aerial and tried to make it on a 40 or 50 foot wave.
Anyway, i tried to think of how you could make the comp more stimulating for viewers...but i don't know. Maybe shorter, man on man heats, with more tension, where they have to push themselves for a score in that shorter allocated time.
But i'm with FR on this one. I much preferred the paddle version of this event. It seems like as a tow event, it might be better suited to an expression session or something along those lines.
And one other thing.....they've held the comp twice in the last 2 or 3 months, and they've missed the two biggest days of the season in the last 2 or 3 months. How does that happen?? Are they aiming for quality clean surf over size?? i would have thought the biggest day's would be the number 1 priority for a tow in comp.

thermalben's picture
thermalben's picture
thermalben Friday, 11 Feb 2022 at 6:03am

I lasted only a few waves last night.. just lost interest very quickly.

Tim Bonython's picture
Tim Bonython's picture
Tim Bonython Monday, 14 Feb 2022 at 8:17am

the first two hours were super boring but once the mist cleared it was the opposite.

crg's picture
crg's picture
crg Friday, 11 Feb 2022 at 7:27am

It’s the perfect Wozzle contest...fleetingly interesting to the non-surfing demographic so they can bump up a few statistics...and boring and ignorant of their core audience.
Woz to a T.

freeride76's picture
freeride76's picture
freeride76 Friday, 11 Feb 2022 at 7:37am

I lasted about 30 minutes.

There just doesn't seem any point to it. No competitive architecture, no coherent rules or scoring, no drama.
Somehow, watching people tow surf 40 foot waves is boring.

tbh, seems like Nazare is a bit of cash cow and they are trying to milk it while they can.

Craig's picture
Craig's picture
Craig Friday, 11 Feb 2022 at 8:09am

I lasted 5 minutes then put on 'Love on the Spectrum'. Highly recommend it!

Bustard's picture
Bustard's picture
Bustard Friday, 11 Feb 2022 at 8:45am

its ironic the wsl content of Nazzzzzzzzzare is the melatonin of the surfing world...it should be could be something so different

gragagan's picture
gragagan's picture
gragagan Friday, 11 Feb 2022 at 1:10pm

As soon as I tuned in saw that dude (or lady) go over the falls. Still boring as. Tuned in maybe 3 or 4 times after that, maybe 10 minutes watched in total. Not worth staying up to watch.
But, if they ditched the surfers, and just had jet skis catching the waves, I'd probably watch that. The ski that attempted that floater in the last comp then got smashed, that's entertainment haha

tank's picture
tank's picture
tank Sunday, 13 Feb 2022 at 7:58pm

I just cant understand all these dudes watching something they find boring .... its fuckin easy boys, if you find it boring DONT watch it and then the moaning stops

Tim Bonython's picture
Tim Bonython's picture
Tim Bonython Monday, 14 Feb 2022 at 8:23am

Absolutely, but then this forum wouldn't be as entertaining. The haters need something to hate.

truebluebasher's picture
truebluebasher's picture
truebluebasher Monday, 14 Feb 2022 at 12:30am

Seems like a Bipolar outpatient could have a crack at the secret code...(Well, who else!)
(We're best to limit this to the 101 main things that are tearing the crew apart!) All say Aye!

1(a) BWT creeps over into next Calendar Year..( eg: Events run 2021 >2022 = 2021 Season ) VIP Tennis Thang?

2. 2021 Nazare (1) + Jaws (2) + 2022 Nazare (1) comps share the same March 2022 Completion date. (WTF)
Yeah! Like that's not confusing...so at first glance you swear you're reading about same comp! (Why think that?)
No! They don't all share the same Start date...that'd be stupid! Only 2 of them do! Starting to make sense! Yeah!

Bonus! This sounds Fucked Up but crew know only WSL are capable with messin' our minds on this level!

1.(b) C'mon tbb ! Do we really need a 1.(b) Just go with it...fits the narrative

BWT 2022 1/3 leap frogs BWT 2021 2/3 ( No! You don't get to ask why! Just know that it's all wishy washy! )

Apologies! We did need the 1.(b) just saying...continue...

Here's a BWT timeline from another dimension...

Dec Nazare Comp was 2021 Tudor Tow Comp WSL Event 1/2 > 2021 BWT Event 2/2 Jaws is still on Hold
BWT 2021 Finishes at Jaws (Hawaii) in Early 2022 ( re: Green Light )

Pause :
We're meant to put 2021 season on hold in the back of yer mind (Might need a Hammer or Bowling Ball!)
Now roll yer eyes to run the current 2022 season ( Careful not to blink! )
Pause!
(You'll need to master a Tricky Switcheroo so ya don't lose yer mind!)
Store 2022 season at the back of yer mind as you bring forward 2021 season to the front of yer mind (Crazy!)
Mad Wax looks & smells like 2022 but now you're waxing up for the 2021 Jaws Final...(Crew knew that!)

Wot! Oh Yeah! That...just dump the 2021 Season to make room for the 2023 finish to the 2022 season...like this...

Current Nazare Comp is 2022 Tudor Tow Comp WSL Event 1/3 > 2/3 returns here in Nov-Dec 2022 > 3/3 Jaws
BWT 2022 Finishes at Jaws (Hawaii) in Early 2023 ( or late Dec 2022 - green light Jaws )

Totally buggered...now tbb needs a tow!
Please no one say any of that makes any sense whatsoever...be pretty messed up if it did!

Remigogo's picture
Remigogo's picture
Remigogo Monday, 14 Feb 2022 at 11:27am

Soooo glad swellnet is here to say 'Aye it's on'.

Comp navigation made simple.