Kamiel Deraeve took the heaviest beating of his life at Nazaré, but he’s got a lot of life left to top it. Photo: Instagram//Screenshot
Kamiel Deraeve is a talented surfer. Far more talented than most 13 year olds, but a recent session at massive Nazaré has opinions divided.
Deraeve, who is from Belgium but lives in Fuerteventura (part of the Canary Islands), learned a valuable lesson about Mother Nature’s strength. Tim Bonython, a man who has seen far more than his fair share of heavy water wipeouts, was on the scene when Deraeve ran into trouble.
“What a crazy situation it was,” Bonython wrote. “@kamielderaeve fell on a wave right in front of us, then got dragged in towards the rocks. Antonio Cardoso went to pick him up after getting the biggest flogging.”
Unfortunately, the first pickup didn’t work out so well. “Kamiel missed the pick up (not quite gabbing the sled) and then went on to get five bombs on the head,” Bonython went on, “and he tells us he’s glad he went through it… as Garrett [McNamara] says, ‘if you don’t enjoy it, then maybe you need to pack it in and do something else.'”
As is often the case at Nazaré, tow teams were in the water and safety was top of mind. Still, though, no amount of preparation can prepare you for every situation, and at 13, Deraeve hasn’t had enough time to prepare for everything — let alone a massive beating at massive Nazaré. The only way to truly experience something like that, however, is to go through it. And now that the young teen has, he’s glad he did.
“I had an amazing session,” Deraeve said after he was safely back on solid ground. “I got one of my biggest waves and also one of my biggest poundings. I had a huge wave on the head and the pounding was insane. I’m glad it happened, because now I’m more confident and I know I’m capable of surfing those big waves.”
In a moment reminiscent of the time Maya Gabeira nearly died at Nazaré, the internet is divided over whether he should have been out there in the first place.
“Until the day he doesn’t make it,” wrote Francisco Froes, a Portuguese actor living in Los Angeles. “What happens if the kid doesn’t make the next pick up? I’m sorry but a 12-year-old out there in these conditions, why? To prove what? What happens to the parents if this kid dies out there?” (Note that Deraeve’s Instagram pages says he’s 13.)
He was far from the only one voicing concern, either. “Gee, somebody thought that was a good idea?” wrote another. “Who towed him in? I’m sure he’ll be back. Love the Jet Ski guys!! Great skills and bravery.”
The skill of the ski pilots is impressive in the clip, especially of Dino Carmo. In the words of yet another commenter, “Forget the grom who missed the sled twice! The ski driver’s skill is outrageous. Some of the most calculated shit you will ever see.”
Whether or not Deraeve should have been out there is not for me to say or not. It’s clear that he’s got the bug, though, and I have no doubt that we will see him out there again… and soon.
“Today, he charged some of the biggest waves of his life — and took the heaviest beating yet,” Above Creators wrote on Instagram alongside an interview with the Deraeve. “The next generation of big wave surfers is here, and the future looks fearless. Respect.”
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