Anthony Walsh won the 7th annual Perfect Chapter event, this year held in Carcavelos, Portugal. Photo: Perfect Chapter/Instagram
The seventh annual Perfect Chapter is done and dusted, and Anthony Walsh is going home with the giant check. It was, as expected, a day to remember. The waves at Carcavelos were exactly what they were supposed to be: perfect beach break barrels.
Cascais is a beautiful place. The beach is stunning, to say the least. Early in the morning, however, things were a little suspect; the wind had a little funk in it, and the ocean looked slightly hungover. The starting horn, which was tentatively slated for 7:30 am, was pushed a few hours, and Mother Nature got out of bed, took a shower, and put on her best dress. By 10:30, a strong offshore blasted the tops off the well-groomed, long-period waves that charged in. They broke over perfectly formed sandbars, and it was on.
The call is only made 72 hours in advance, so it isn’t an easy thing to wrangle the surfers. “I wasn’t even in the contest. I got a call up last minute,” Walsh said after his win. He replaced the injured William Aliotti. “I traveled for 30 hours, got here yesterday, surfed once and ended up winning, so it’s an amazing feeling… I’m so lucky. Obrigado Perfect Chapter and all the sponsors and to all the competitors. It was such a fun day, and I’m glad to be here. Obrigado Portugal!”
Five-to-six foot tubes poured through the lineup, and the sun broke through the grey clouds as the morning wore on. The beach was packed. Compared to most surf contests, The Perfect Chapter feels a little different: it’s like a group of good friends decided to have an impromptu contest, but it’s incredibly well-organized. Seven years ago, it was a locals-only event, but over time, it became clear that it was too good not to be shared. International surfers made their way onto the roster by way of an internet vote, and The Perfect Chapter became what we see today: a one-day event held only when the waves are just about as good as they’re going to get. The contest bounces around — it’s been held at Nazaré, Supertubos, and Carcavelos — and it’s a hard call to make, but Rui Costa, the organizer, is so dialed into the conditions he’s like a cog on a Swiss watch. And this year, the organizers did it again. Aside from an hour-or-so of nearly perfect at low tide, it was a day that won’t be forgotten by the surfers or the spectators.
Here are a few highlights from the earlier rounds:
The final came down to Anthony Walsh, Balaram Stack, Aritz Aranburu, and Nic von Rupp, all of whom are no stranger to the tube. Walsh, who clenched a GoPro in his teeth for the majority of the event, wouldn’t back down, and his tenacity paid off. He scored a total of 8.60 points, leaving Nic Von Rupp in second, with a combined score of 5.80 points. Third was Basque surfer Aritz Aranburu, with American Balaram Stack finishing fourth with 4.30 and 2.25 points respectively.
Nic Von Rupp also won the Ricardo dos Santos Attitude Award, which, much like the AI Award, is given to the surfer who shows the most determination. “Ricardo was a great friend and a great surfer,” Nic said. “We all learned a lot from him in this kind of waves, so this trophy will have a special place in my home.”
In the end, The Perfect Chapter lived up to its name… and we can’t wait to see what next year brings.
Watch the event here and check back for highlights that are coming soon.
