DID NIC VON RUPP JUST BREAK A WORLD RECORD?

Ask anyone in the surfing community and they’ll tell you where the biggest waves in the world are: Nazare, Portugal. That’s why it’s home to the Tudor Nazaré Big Wave Challenge. Last week waves reached their absolute peak—some clocking in at 30 meters at the Hermínia swell in particular. The larger competition wasn’t held because of the inconsistency of the waves, but the most fearless surfers used the opportunity to continue their training and take on the challenge of surfing gargantuan waves. The first surfer out on the water? None other than TUDOR ambassador Nic Von Rupp and his team, Mountains of the Sea.

Many waited for the ocean to settle and for the extreme conditions to die down, but not Nic. He was the first to hit the waves when the swell peaked. It was dangerous, certainly, but Nic’s team of four spotters were on the water equipped with jet skis making sure everything was under control. Another two spotters were on the cliffs were ensuring Nic was safe. “This was only possible because of an amazing team—it’s all about the team,” Nic says, adding that “the connection I felt with the ocean that day was so strong; the news said that no one was going to be out on the water that day, but this was only possible because of the team.”

Mountains of the Sea ended up being one of the very few teams on the water that day that dared to face those conditions.

The monitoring buoys report accurate measurements, and that day they measured the biggest waves ever. The data is still being processed; two swells that Nic surfed could very well be among the biggest ever surfed at Nazaré—or even in the world. The sheer size of the swell made this a pivotal moment for Nic Von Rupp. Years and years of facing massive swells and mental preparation led to this very moment when he had the opportunity to ride the biggest wave of his life.

With the Tudor Nazaré Big Wave Challenge happening any day now, Rupp is more ready than ever before.