This Wave Cost Nic Von Rupp $20k

Every year, the fine folks of Portugal put on a tube-riding contest called Capitulo Perfeito. 

Sometimes the event’s held at Supertubos, other times it’s at small(ish) Nazaré, and this year it took place at Carcavelos, a lesser-known but equally as hollow beach break about a half-hour from Portugal’s capital city, Lisbon. 

A tight-knit crew of international tube hustlers also invited to Capitulo Perfeito, acting as a talent barometer for Portugal’s most prominent names—Tiago Pires, Frederico Morais, Nic Von Rupp, Miguel Blanco, and so on.

Spoiler: the international dudes typically win, and this year was no different.

While he didn’t take home the big check, Nic Von Rupp was in contention for the $20k “best tube” prize, just before he fumbled his bottom turn on the wave of the day (skip to 5:19 if your parents didn’t nurture your sense of patience).

Takeaway: yeah, we do miss surf comps.