Photo: Vasco Lazaro /Capitulo Perfeito
Capitulo Perfeito is back. The annual Portuguese one-day, tube-riding competition is entering its 11th edition this year, with the waiting period starting on January 11 and going until March 11. To celebrate, contest organizers just announced most of the 16-man lineup, which includes some of the best tube riders from around the world.
As always, the competition roster includes a mix of freesurfers and former Championship Tour pros. The eight international invitees are Rob Machado, Clay Marzo, Balaram Stack, Bruno Santos, Aritz Aranburu, Craig Anderson, Noah Beschen and Noa Deane. They’ll be joined by Portuguese surfers Nic von Rupp, Pedro Boonman, João Maria Mendonça and Miguel Blanco. The “Reigning Champ Wildcard” slot will go to Tiago Stock, the young Carcavelos local who won last year’s competition after qualifying via the trials event.
However, there are still slots to be filled. One surfer will be selected via a poll, in which fans will choose between Martim Carrasco, António Cardoso, Martim Fortes, Luís Perloiro, Guilherme Ribeiro, Guilherme Fonseca and João Guedes. Another local surfer will be selected via a trials event, to be held during the main event’s waiting period. The final slot, dubbed the “Performance Wildcard” will be a last-minute appointment by the contest directors.
Finally, for the first time, the competition will include a “Special Women’s Heat” between the semis and the final, in which Francisca Veselko, Yolanda Hopkins, Mafalda Lopes and Camila Cardoso will face off.
The competitors will be competing for not only bragging rights, but also a 50,000-euro purse. In addition, the most committed athlete will be awarded a trophy named after the late Brazilian surfer and former Capitulo Perfeito competitor Ricardo dos Santos.
