The 2025/26 edition of the Tudor Nazaré Big Wave Challenge once again placed Praia do Norte – Nazaré at the centre of the global surfing scene this Saturday, 13 December 2025, with a morning marked by giant waves and high-level performances — even though the event did not unfold exactly as initially planned.

It was during the morning period that the best conditions of the day were concentrated. The ocean was powerful and demanding, delivering moments of great intensity and once again confirming Nazaré’s status as one of the most challenging stages in big wave surfing.

Watch the WSL video with the best moments of the event:

Rewatch the full official event broadcast by the WSL .

On the WSL website, it is possible to use the Replay Experience feature to rewatch specific moments from the competition day.

Watch the awards ceremony video after the event:

Among the standouts, Nicolau von Rupp once again established himself as one of the key figures of the event. The Portuguese surfer achieved another victory at the Tudor Nazaré Big Wave Challenge, becoming the winner for the second consecutive time in the team event, alongside his partner Clément Roseyro (FRA).
Lucas Chianca won the Best Male Performance award, even after experiencing very violent and impressive wipeouts (see video above).
Justine Dupont claimed the Best Female Performance award, continuing to perform strongly at Nazaré.

One of the most memorable moments of the competition took place during the morning session, when von Rupp surfed a wave of significant size that quickly stood out among the biggest and most impressive of the day.

See the official results on the WSL website

The competition ended early, with virtually no surfing taking place in the afternoon. The organization (WSL) stated that, due to a power failure, the event could not continue safely within the one-day window. The delayed start caused by fog, combined with the power outage, prevented Round 2 from being completed in adequate light conditions. As a result, the final event results were determined based on Round 1, contested in the best waves of the competition during the morning. The power failure likely affected communications and compromised the safety of the surfers.

While safety is always the top priority in giant wave surfing, the early interruption left a sense of frustration and disappointment among athletes, the public on site, and viewers following the event remotely. There was a feeling of regret as the ocean remained very powerful, with big waves and no action in the water, in front of an audience estimated at around 50,000 people throughout the day, waiting to see those waves surfed during the afternoon.

Even so, this edition of the Tudor Nazaré Big Wave Challenge will be remembered for the intensity of the morning session and for the consecutive victory of Nicolau von Rupp, on a day when Nazaré once again showcased both its potential and its unpredictability.

Watch the video shared by Sebastian Steudtner, the famous big wave surfer who was in charge of the safety team and saved Lucas Chumbo near the rocks after a brutal wipeout in the morning—it was a heartfelt hug:

 

 

 

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A post shared by Sebastian ⚡️ Steudtner (@sebastiansurfs)

Learn more about the annual giant wave surfing competition

See below a selection of photos from this day from a tourist’s point of view, along with several webcam images captured throughout the day: