Gigantes da Nazare - etapa Leblon, Rio de Janeiro

Gigantes Rio 2022 A meses vinha falando com o organizador do evento, Diogo, sobre detalhes do evento e sobre tudo estar recolho na previsão. O verão no Brasil começando , a tensão em realizar o evento aumenta. Como organizador de eventos ( idealista do Quemao class, idealista e atualmente organizador do Illa Pancha Challenge é Coruña big wave), sei bem o que é esta tensão de um possível ano ou temporada sem realizar o evento. Orçamentos de empresas e órgãos públicos mudam e com isso a possibilidade de nunca nas ter os mesmos apoios. A frente trisecarais clara e o call foi feito. Olhei os bilhetes e estavam caros em relação a bilhetes que compras com antecipação . De 400€ ano passado a 1500€ o mais barato. Decidi não ir , já que estavam muito caros. Um grande amigo de Arraial do cabo, Matheus Cutnei me deu a letra “ pode vir que pago o bilhete e assim podes apoiar nosso amigo em comum Henrique Farias e a escola de surf pública de Arraial do cabo . Cheguei domingo à noite dia 30 de outubro. O evento seria dia 1 , terça . No dia seguinte fui andar na praia da Barra com meu primo Ricardo, marido desminta prima Paula Cavicchine. Eles me receberam no ap deles e antes de ir pro trabalho no Leblon, meu primo andava para poder melhorar de uma lesão. Era isso. Simples como uma caminhada de fisioterapia que com o calor de 35 graus celsius se transformou em treino forte. Depois do treino visitei meu velho amigo Udo Bastos e paguei umas pranchas que tinha pedido a tempos. Visitei Natália Patury e levei a filha dela com meu velho amigo Raoni Monteiro a comprar um presente no Barra shopping. Dia seguinte o swell era para entrar na parte da tarde e fiz a missão de y reinar com meu parceiro neste evento o Lucas Chumbo. Para mim, o melhor surfista brasileiro em ondas grandes e gigantes e top 5 mundial , Uma pena não ter outra vez o circuito para poder ver um cara como ele poder lutar pelo título de campeão do mundo. Treino foi intenso. O jet, um Yamaha 1000 não parava de reclamar a cada acelerada e deixando a pilotagem mais difícil e com isso mais divertida. Pontos ruins do treino foi a chuva forte que dificultava ver e analisar quais as ondas boas e sobre tudo o esgoto jogado onde estávamos surfando. Agua marrón e com cheiro de merda. A volta a Barra desde o Leblon foi intensa. Chumbo decidiu ir perto da areia e assim evitar todas as dificuldades de pilotar nas motoras feitas pelo vento forte , Sim, estava bem mais liso a arrebentação , mas tive despedir a Chumbo de ir devagar várias vezes, Disse que fazia aquilo sempre com seu pai, da praia da Vila até a laje onde surfam pro norte. Dois psicopatas da velocidade. Campeonatono dia seguinte foi perfeito, Primeira bateria relativamente fácil e a Segunda com toque de disputa dura contra os irmãos Vaz que arrebentaram o evento inteiro. Muito feliz com a vitória. Já tinha programado ir ficariam semana em Arraial, mas para minha tristeza ou alegria, Segunda dia 7 de novembro, previsão devindas frss as des e boas em Nazaré. Fui em Arraial 1 dia. Banco Almoço com vovó, titia, mamãe e Taico. Reunião com secretário de esporte e turismo. Izaias e Marcos Simas. Doação de roupas que trouxe da Europa. Reunião em Cabo Frio com a editora Sophia para o lançamento do livro surfista carioca. Visitei papai e Cris . Visitei Alexandre e família. Fui no aniversário do meu primo Matheus que acaba decalcar a Thalassa pousada e com isso começando sua vida empresarial. Onde certamente vou conectar e tentar que os europeus possam vir a este paraíso que é Arraial. Visitei telminha ,mãe do meu amigo Matheus que também estava e conversamos da possibilidade de trazer o talento cabisbaixo a Europa, Matheus Farias. Que também é mãe da minha querida ex namorada Camilla. Fiz várias coisas e ontem começou a volta a Europa…voando e voando e voando. Rio-Madrid-Coruna Carro Coruña Nazaré amanhã. Vamos que vamos! Deus me proteja para voltar sempre Salvina minha família e que proteja todas essas pessoais que surfam comigo mas que também fazem parte de minha vida e dessa passagem de evolução na terra que estamos todos. Aloha! Eric

safety on big surf


 Safety on surf After many lives were lost in a sequence of tragedies on big waves, the surf industry started to make flotation vests that would enable a surfer to surface before the next wave hits. Sounds simple! There is only one problem. The surfer needs to pull the cord under the water. “Blow the vest on his own “ Easy? Sounds easy. The reality is that the surfer needs to be in shape, fit, trained and have some luck as well. Two stories will follow! Both at Nazaré. The biggest and heaviest wave in the world. French-Brazilian surfer Eric Rebiere was talking to his partner during the session. More a discussion than a talk. Why? Details of how to drive. The main thing about surfing the worlds biggest waves, is that the driver is as important as the surfer. He is the one that selects the wave and hopefully puts you at the perfect place on it. The right spot at the right speed. And if you don’t fall, the driver is the one that picks you up before another wave reaches you. If you fall, it is a totally different scenario. The surfer can surface anywhere and even if someone has a radio to hand and a perfect view from the top of the cliff, it is rare the the driver will have time to figure out where you are and reach you before the next one hits. And what happens is this: “You feel the speed of the jet ski on your board. You know your going fast and you can take any wave you want. Your last moments doubt to go or not go is when you still have the tow rope in your hands. As soon you let go you have two options: find more speed in different zones of the wave with more risk or follow the same line the PWC driver placed you and hope your lucky enough to have the speed to avoid the wave breaking on you. On this specific case I didn’t have a chance to choose my line. We came from way deep and fast. Board was flying! The irregular surface combined with the speed was making the board vibrate a lot. My concentration was on not falling and making sure my stance stayed strong and held. It Looked like the take off was almost ending and it was time to change the line to the wall when the hit came. Such a heavy impact that it is hard to describe. Body goes all over and you don’t roll.  Not like a small wave. You get spit out to the sky at the same time you loose body coordination. Your still in this mutant washing machine when you realize that you need to pull the vest. How? Not sure. Wait? When? You focus on your arm strength against the wave strength as you try to reach the vests little string cord. You know its somewhere, but where is it? Somewhere. Time goes. The Wave still has the same intensity. Same powerful body washing machine. And you don’t know to be afraid of God or ask for his help. LOL. You finally reach the string on the vest and you pull. Nothing happens. Your still rolling and going deeper up and down. Seconds feel like minutes and you think that the vest hasn’t worked. If it had, you would be up and not up and then drawn back down. In a second there is one last punch and a small break from the wave. You feel a hand forcing you up fast. Really fast. As you shoot up out the water you realize that all 4 CO2 canisters have blown. Your fully inflated and can barely breathe with the pressure of the vest on you. Its over! The driver will pick you up No! Nobody will pick you up. Your somewhere nobody can reach you. The second wave may not break where the wave of the set breaks. If you picked up the wave at the normal spot and not way outside as it was a huge one. Your right in the impact zone for the second one and you will need a second strength to face the 540 000 horsepower of energy the wave generates!  https://www.oceanenergycouncil.com/ocean-energy/wave-energy/ Wave Energy - Ocean Energy Council What is wave energy? Wave energy is an irregular and oscillating low-frequency energy source that can be converted to a 60-Hertz frequency and can then be added to the electric utility grid. The energy in waves comes from the movement of the ocean and the changing heights and speed of the swells. Kinetic energy, the energy of motion, in waves is tremendous. An average 4-foot, 10-second wave ... www.oceanenergycouncil.com All your training is now what counts, that and your mind. Where does your mind go? In my case I asked God to keep me safe and bring me back to my kids. All the images of my kids started to show up and even fully inflated like a ball, I had to hold on. A third one came, fourth, fifth.. I lost count. Before I could see the shore I knew that I couldn’t swim there. The PWC showed up and my hand couldn’t hold the sled. I took more “little” 10 foot waves on the head. Another PWC stopped by and I had to roll into the sled. All the life guards were waiting, as always on giant days. It was finally over. Oxygen. Rest. And if nothing is broken. Go back for more! One of my best friends was really prepared for those mutant impacts, but he didn’t have the same luck as me. He reached the back of the PWC before another wave hit him after finishing his ride, but after they hit a “lump” of wave that is all over the Nazare inside, he hit his head and passed out. He couldn’t inflate his vest and they pulled him to the beach 10 min after. For me God saved him. One thing is for sure our sport requires increased attention on creating better flotation vests and stronger and more eco-friendly personal water crafts.

Alentejo big surf.Paddle

 First of all big thanks to the locals.
The good vibe they are put on this waves to be ridden s amazing!!
Special thanks to my close friend Pedro Buga who was tell me about this wave since we went to a trip up to France to watch the world tour contest.He was always saying , let s check this wave down south!

Here is Sebastian Steudtner and myself.

Freaking guy grew up on a lake and got a giant bomb at Nazare the day before!

We got there a bit late and wind turns, making the wave all weird.As breaks far out, make me remind Belharra.

Alex Botelho always happy bout a big wave and stoked.Cause after a crazy not calm session at Nazare this waves was like a funny playground.

From the water waves looks way biggerThis was the first wave that came trought.i d paddlepaddle

First wave that came trought, i d paddle to deep and just ate me in the middle of the take off. When i pop up Alex came back from his ride ask me if i was all right and tell me : _ you almost made it,hahahahat
Some take off was lots of fun as the wind came couples bumps on the wave.some take of was so much fun, that one i almost felt and my hand touch the water stabilizing it.
 Tom Buttler was with us doing security at both sessions, got one nice wipeout at this one but jsut pull out 4 teeth and wasn t feeling in shape.

Surfeurope interview

http://surfeurope.mpora.com/features/20-questions-with-eric-rebiere.html