Starting with the 2021/2022 winter season, TUDORis partnering with the World Surf League on its two Big Wave events, the TUDOR Nazaré Tow Surfing Challenge presented by Jogos Santa Casa in Nazaré, Portugal and the Quicksilver Jaws Big Wave Challenge presented by TUDOR in Maui, Hawaii.
Surfing the “Big Waves” is both unique and reckless. Few men and women are capable of surfing the monstrous 20-meter-high waves of Nazaré, the fishing village in Portugal where the highest surfable waves in the world are formed. Nor are many who venture to surf Jaws (Pe’ahi) in Maui, Hawaii.
The official period for the WSL Big Wave competitions is from November 2021 to March 31, 2022. The date of each competition is determined according to weather forecasts to determine the best day of creation of important waves to be able to compete. Once the day is determined, the participants have 72 hours to travel from their places of origin and be ready to compete. In keeping with its #BornToDare spirit, TUDOR will be the sponsoring partner of the Nazaré event and official partner of the Jaws event.
Twelve years ago, virtually no one in the surfing world had heard of Nazaré, a sleepy fishing village north of Lisbon. It was in 2010, when Garrett McNamara surfed a giant wave of 24 meters, that Nazaré became a world reference for surfing, while the Fort of São Miguel Arcanjo, located in a dominant position on the beach of Nazaré, became an iconic image of extreme sports.
a single wave
The unique configuration of the seabed of Praia do Norte in Nazaré, with its proximity to the coastline, the sandy bottom and the presence of a deep submerged canyon, generate the highest waves in the world. It is said that if you ever manage to surf a 30-meter wave, it will be in Nazaré. The intimidating waves and their great force mean that participants have to be taken and picked up by lifeguards on Jet Skis.
