Joel in the Mentawais. Photo: Screenshot
Less than 24 hours from the start of the Perfect Chapter tube fest at Carcavelos Beach, Portugal, Joel Parkinson has been confirmed as the “performance wildcard” to join the competition.
“Excited to get the call up for this!” said the 2012 world champ on his Instagram stories.
Parkinson jetted straight to Europe from his home in Australia, ready to make his debut in the 11th edition of the event. Organizers said he fits the bill perfectly for what they are looking for in a wild card as “a renowned and talented surfer capable of keeping his opponents on their toes in heavy tubes and wowing the crowd with his world-class barrel riding skills.”
An 8-10 foot swell is marching towards Portugal, and after a several-month wait, the Perfect Chapter organizers decided to give the contest a green light for Saturday February 22.
A slew of roster changeups were also released. Cam Richards, Victor Bernardo, Pedro Calado, Lucas Chianca and Guilherme Fonseca were announced as entries into the competition. They replaced Aritz Aranburu, Noa Deane, Clay Marzo, Rob Machado and João Maria Mendonça, who were unable to attend due to logistical constraints.
Other standout competitors that will vie for the €50,000 in prize money (plus €2,500 for the best tube) include Craig Anderson, Noah Beschen, Balaram Stack, Nic von Rupp, and Miguel Blanco.
Additionally, the new entrants to the women’s competition are Maria Salgado and Gabriela Dinis. Previously confirmed athletes Francisca Veselko and Mafalda Lopes are busy in Morocco competing in a WSL QS event.
The first call is at 7 a.m. local time on Saturday the 22nd. Catch the action live here.
