Winning.
There is winning and then there is big wave surfing over the last two days. The world of giants is oft a neglected backwater amongst our kind. Oh certainly, we will tune in for a few minute of Jaws competitions and occasionally swoon over video drips from OnlyFans star Nathan Florence but, generally, big wave surfing is lightly considered and, its heroes and heroines, outside the few Kai Lennys and Laird Hamiltons, poorly compensated.
All that is set to radically change, though, after a blistering forty-eight hours.
Yesterday, we learned that the World Surf League is set to turn the XXL portion of its offering over to the Guinness Book of World Records. A major victory for novelty buffs and ten-year-old boys.
Today, we hear that a purveyor of world-famous beard oil is signing on as sponsor of upcoming Nazaré Tow Challenge.
Per the press release:
Hurley, the iconic action-sports brand, announces sponsorship of the World Surf League’s 2022-2023 TUDOR Nazaré Tow Surfing Challenge. The competition will showcase the best of big wave surfing as world-class surfers pursue their quest to capture a ride on big wave surfing’s Holy Grail of waves. The competition will take place at Praia de Norte in Nazaré, Portugal, home to some of the biggest waves in the world; and will showcase the best of big wave surfing in the tow-in discipline.
The competition will feature nine teams made up of two competitors, surfers and jet ski drivers, hoping to make surfing history. Team Hurley is pleased to present its own legendary big wave surfers including Kai Lenny of Hawaii; Nazaré local, Nic von Rupp; and New York icon, Will Skudin. Known for its spectacular waves, including the current Guinness World Record for largest wave ever surfed — a colossal eighty-six-footer — the 2023 TUDOR Nazaré Tow Challenge is sure to be a headline-making event, as contestants may even have a chance to shatter that record during the event. To capture the excitement, Hurley has commissioned local Portugal surf artist, Waves by Johny Viera, to paint the event poster, which will also be available across a limited Nazaré collection of merchandise.
“The Nazaré Challenge is an event where simply making a wave doesn’t mean you’re safe. It is survival the entire time. That being said, pressure makes diamonds and the best rides I’ve ever had out there have been in this event,” explains Kai Lenny. ‘Nazaré is the biggest wave in the world, the most consistent, the most dangerous, the most challenging wave. It’s an honor to be in this event, it’s an honor to surf with and against the best big wave surfers in the world. Let the show begin,” adds Nic von Rupp.
Can you picture Kai Lenny with a beard?
Me neither.