For the first time since COVID a paddle-in Big Wave Alliance Championship is returning. And it’s not going to Jaws, or Nazaré, or Mavericks. It’s going to a wave most people have never heard of, Laje de Jagua, a remote slab way off the southern coast of Brazil.
With support from Brazilian brand Mormaii, the Big Wave Alliance event, which was conceived by California legend Gary Linden, opened its waiting period July 29th and runs through November 30th. The big wave showdown will unfold at the rocky reef about 5 kilometers off the coast of Jaguaruna, in the state of Santa Catarina. The setup is basically perfect but also very fickle. It takes a huge long-period swell, ideally from the SSE to light up when it hits the shelf 2 meters below the surface. The wave can break in either direction but, given it’s offshore location, is very exposed and needs light or offshore winds and good visibility.
The roster Linden has assembled is no joke, all heavies. On the men’s side, Grant “Twiggy” Baker, Kai Lenny, Lucas Chumbo, Billy Kemper, Nathan Florence, Russell Bierke, and seven others. The women’s draw includes Justine Dupont, Paige Alms, Bianca Valenti, and Catarina Lorenzo. Twelve men, six women, one day hopefully soon. Winners take the title of Paddle-In Big Wave Alliance World Champion, a title that’s been vacant since the pandemic and adds much needed support to the realm of big wave surfing.
Linden, the founder of the Big Wave Tour and former president of the ASP (now the WSL), has been pushing for a structured world title in big-wave surfing for decades. “By recognizing the best of the best, we capture the interest of audiences worldwide,” he said at the event launch. The format is simple: invite the best surfers from the top big-wave events around the globe, bring them to one location for a final showdown. The location will rotate annually.
The event will also carry more significance than just competition. It’s being held in tribute to Zeca Scheffer, one of the first guys to surf Laje da Jagua in 2002 and organized Brazil’s first tow-in championship there in 2006. He died later that same year at 32 in a car accident on the way to surf the wave. The wave he gave his life to will now host the most prestigious paddle event in big-wave surfing in his honor.
Since Laje da Jagua breaks five kilometers offshore, spectators won’t be able to watch from the beach. The organizers are setting up large screens onshore and everyone abroad will be able to watch streaming live on YouTube. Stay tuned for updates.
Related: Lucas Chianca Surfs Biggest Wave Ever Recorded (48ft) In Brazil
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