You have heard, by now, about the Perfect Chapter. The Capítulo Perfeito is a lot more than just an event — it is, as they say, “a dream day for surfers.” Why’s that, you ask? Well, it only runs in the absolute best conditions. It’s one day. Organizers wait for the best possible conditions, so there’s no slogging through a bunch of heats in crummy waves. This year, it’s running at a place called Carcavelos, a fickle place that is the epitome of perfection… when it’s working. And this year, it’s going to be working.
“The forecast shows a solid swell over four meters, with a long period, and northerly winds,” said Rodrigo Herédia, Contest Director for the Perfect Chapter, and legendary Carcavelos local. “These are the ideal conditions for Carcavelos. The sandbanks are well shaped, so we expect a great day of surfing.”
The event is a little different than most. The surfers are voted in and each and every one of them is an expert in barreling waves. This year, 43,000 voters from 92 countries 5 continents chose the surfers.
It’s a tube-centric event, after all, and there’s no point in a tube-centric event without the inclusion of tube-wranglers of the highest degree. How’s this for a lineup: Aritz Aramburu, Cory Lopez, Bruno Santos, Clay Marzo, Pedro Scooby, Lucas Chumbo, Joao Guedes, Miguel Blanco, Tiago Pires, and Nic Von Rupp. After his injury at Nazaré, Alex Botelho will be replaced by Filipe Jervis, the sixth Portuguese surfer most voted by the public. “Alex’s condition is stable, but unfortunately, he is far from being able to surf or compete in the Perfect Chapter,” said Rui Costa, organizer of the Perfect Chapter. “What matters most is his quick recovery. He is a great surfer and a great human being, and I am sure that soon he will be doing what he most likes: getting barreled in perfect waves.”
Jervis is looking to make Botelho proud. “It wasn’t at all the way I wanted to enter the contest,” he said. “Alex is a good friend and it’s tough to see what happened to him. The whole surfing community is in shock with Alex’s situation, we all hope he’ll recover quickly. It is up to me to do my best and dedicate my performance to Alex.”
The Perfect Chapter is one of the most-loved events in Portugal. The focus isn’t so much on points and rankings as it is on surfing’s Holy Grail: the tube. “The Perfect Chapter is an out-of-the-box event, but a very important highlight on the surfing world’s calendar,” said Tiago Pires, who could be the greatest Portuguese surfer of all time. “Everyone is frothing for the Perfect Chapter because it highlights what is most magical about surfing: barrels.”
The Perfect Chapter will be broadcast live on the contest website, at www.capituloperfeito.com Brazilian website Waves.com.br and Theinertia.com. FUEL TV broadcasts the Perfect Chapter in 97 countries, including Australia and in South America.
