In Nazaré, the Mecca of Big Waves, a New Era of Surfing Begins

In June, Swiss watchmaker Tudor, title sponsor of the Nazaré Big Wave Challenge for the past five years, invited around fifteen international journalists to experience what the surf world has to offer in Nazaré — in real, raw conditions. Now a pilgrimage site for big wave surfers, this small Portuguese fishing town of 15,000 inhabitants has been radically transformed since 2011. Fourteen years ago, Hawaiian surfer Garrett McNamara descended a 23.77-meter wall of water, setting the world record for the largest wave ever surfed. Since then, others have claimed the title, including Sebastian Steudtner, who rode a 26.21-meter monster in 2020. These feats have secured Nazaré’s place among the most legendary big wave spots on the planet — joining the ranks of Jaws (Maui, Hawaii), Mavericks (Northern California), Shipstern Bluff (Tasmania), and Mullaghmore (Ireland).

Unlike these other sites built on hard rock or coral reefs, Nazaré’s seafloor is composed of sand. Waves form 250 kilometers offshore, funneled through a canyon five kilometers deep. Massive volumes of water are channeled into this natural trench, accelerating, and growing in force until they break along the sandy banks of Praia do Norte.

While local fishermen have long spoken of monstrous winter waves, surfers only truly grasped their scale around a decade ago. One of them is Nic Von Rupp. Born in 1990 to a German American father and a Swiss mother, he grew up in Sintra, Portugal. His family background sparked a passion for travel and adventure. At age nine, he discovered surfing — a revelation. Named European Surfer of the Year in 2013, he’s collected trophies ever since. Today, as an ambassador for Tudor, he embodies the Swiss watch brand’s Born to Dare spirit. In February 2025, he won the coveted title for Best Team Performance, alongside Frenchman Clément Roseyro, also a Tudor ambassador and individual champion at that year’s Big Wave Challenge — a flagship event on the World Surf League (WSL) calendar.

Shortly after his win, Nic shared: “It’s been ten, even fifteen years of blood, sweat, and tears. Nazaré is hugely important to us. This season, we gave everything in the water — whether it was two-meter waves or thirty-meter giants, near the shore or far offshore.”

As the waves — and performances — have grown, so too has the sport’s need to evolve. The first edition of the Nazaré Big Wave Challenge (2016–2017) focused on paddle-in surfing. But with wave heights reaching ever more epic proportions, the WSL introduced the Tow Challenge in 2019 — a team-based tow-in format using jet skis to launch surfers into massive waves. These changes were only possible thanks to technology. Nic explains: “Back in 2004, we didn’t have today’s gear. Many surfers would vanish. Now, powerful jet skis can reach us even in dangerous conditions. We’ve also developed airbags worn under the wetsuit — they’ve saved my life multiple times. The pressure from the water compresses the stomach and helps push you to the surface. Surfboards have evolved too. They must be soft in the front, rigid and heavy in the back, weighing between 3 and 11 kg depending on wave size.”

Nazaré itself has had to adapt to the towering profile of its waves. During the winter surf season, the town’s population can multiply tenfold. Hotel overnight stays soared 295% between 2010 (when McNamara went viral) and 2019.

Nic continues: “Nazaré has changed dramatically. Before, people worked maybe two months a year. Now, thanks to tourism and surfing, the town is busy all year round. It was once heavily reliant on fishing. Today, surfing has transformed both the town’s face and its economy. Hotels were already here, but they’ve exploded, and so has the real estate market — property prices have increased fivefold. Rents have gone up much more than incomes, which causes concern. But overall, locals really value this development.”

Walter Chicharro, former mayor of Nazaré, echoed this sentiment in a 2024 RTS report: “We’ve seen massive changes over the past ten years. Nazaré, Praia do Norte, the Nazaré Canyon — these are known worldwide. Tourism is still our main source of income, but our economy now runs for eleven months of the year instead of just three in summer. This has spurred real development, though we’ve also had to manage the explosion in visitors. That said, the people of Nazaré remain deeply connected to the sea. Fishing is still vital.”

Von Rupp’s vision goes beyond chasing that mythical 30-meter wave (still unridden). He has bigger ambitions — for Nazaré, for surfing, and for discovering new big wave locations. “I came to Nazaré to ride the world’s biggest wave. That was a personal goal. I wanted to leave a mark on this sport. But now I’ve reached an age where fulfillment comes from helping others achieve those goals, from inspiring and passing it on. I’ve been in Nazaré for ten years — now I want to leave a legacy and open the sport to more people.”

“We are currently very active in this field thanks to the structure we’ve established: Mountains of the Sea,” explains Nic von Rupp. Built on two pillars, the organization manages a professional surf team capable of providing the ideal conditions for Nic and other champions to ride the world’s biggest waves. At the same time, it invests in the development of infrastructure in Nazaré.

“It’s still very difficult for young surfers to break through in Nazaré. They need proper support, coaching, and a dedicated training facility — none of which existed until now. We’ve now created a full ecosystem. Our ambition is to make Nazaré the future capital of surfing,” he continues. “A new facility is currently under construction — a place where we can host our partners, including Tudor, our major sponsor and strong supporter of Mountains of the Sea. Another key focus for the organization is the protection of marine ecosystems, primarily through work with Hope Zones, a specialized group building marine farms outside Nazaré to support carbon offset initiatives.”

The next step for Mountains of the Sea is to explore other big wave spots — places that exist but haven’t yet been embraced by the surf world. “That’s why we’re heading to Greenland, where we suspect there’s an incredible, undiscovered wave. Nazaré remains our home base, where we’re most active, but as soon as we identify a new location, we’ll move the team there. Surfers have been going to the same places for years — Mavericks, Jaws, Nazaré… There must be other spots. Last year, we traveled to the Arctic and witnessed an astonishing wave. We’re working closely with scientists and oceanographers who map ocean depths to help us locate new breaks. Our vision is bold — much like the early explorers seeking new horizons. Tudor’s support is critical for these projects. And it’s not just financial — it’s a mindset, a commitment to building a community, a future for surfing, and to bringing this sport to the next level of professionalism.”

The next Tudor Nazaré Big Wave Challenge will take place between November 1, 2025, and March 31, 2026 — a broad time frame, purposefully left open since Nazaré’s waves are unpredictable. Once a favorable weather window is confirmed, the championship must be pulled together within days, calling the world’s top surfers to gather in Nazaré as quickly as possible. Sometimes, the biggest challenge isn’t riding a giant wave — it’s the flight delay.