It's that time again: in Nazaré, Portugal, the highest waves in the world are surfed over the winter months. During the Tudor Nazaré Big Wave Challenge, a fatal accident almost occurs.
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- A surf contest in Nazaré, Portugal, almost leads to a fatal accident.
- Brazilian surf star Lucas Chianca is swallowed up by a 15-meter monster wave and talks about the "hardest wipeout" of his life.
- Fortunately, he is rescued from the masses of water in time by German professional surfer Sebastian Steudtner.
- Despite the heavy fall, the Brazilian ultimately wins the surf contest.
From November to March, the Portuguese coastal town of Nazaré attracts the world's best surfing pros and tens of thousands of onlookers every year. The reason: the highest waves in the world are created here during the winter months. Thanks to a deep underwater canyon, the masses of water can reach a height of over 30 meters.
Anyone who ventures into the water risks their life. This is what happened on December 13 during the "Tudor Nazaré Big Wave Challenge". Lucas "Chumbo" Chianca caused a major shock: the professional surfer was riding a 15-meter monster wave when a small bump in the water threw him off balance.
"The wave looked so beautiful. I thought I was on it perfectly too. But then this little hill killed me," Chianca will later say in an interview.
"That was the hardest wipeout of my life"
The 30-year-old crashes and instantly disappears in the immense masses of water. 10,000 spectators fear for the Brazilian's life. Because even for a professional surfer, so-called wipeouts are absolutely life-threatening in these conditions.
Chianca is held under water near the rocks - he is in danger of running out of air. But then big wave legend Sebastian Steudtner arrives on a jet ski and intervenes at lightning speed. "That was one of the toughest wipeouts of my life," reveals Chianca and thanks him: "Sebastian saved my life right in front of the rocks. Thank you very much!"
The German rescuer is a professional surfer himself and holds the record for the highest wave ever ridden in history (26.21 meters) - also in Nazaré.
Despite his near-death experience, Chianca secured the award for the best performance among the men with a score of 23.60 points and won by a wafer-thin margin ahead of Portugal's Nic von Rupp.
Incidentally, Chianca crashed heavily a second time at the event, as videos show. However, the Brazilian apparently found his way out of the water again after the second wipeout.
In the women's event, Justine Dupont once again set an exclamation mark. The Frenchwoman wins for the second time in a row and takes her fifth Nazaré trophy.
