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Capitulo Perfeito is a competition that is all about barrels. As such, it requires careful planning, along with a fair share of improvisation, to make sure the one-day event takes place precisely on the best day of the Portuguese winter.
However, any surfer who has eagerly tracked a swell, only to arrive at their break and get skunked, knows that it’s not always possible to perfectly predict the whims of nature. So, what happens when the conditions don’t line up as expected, even with the modern forecasting tools at our disposal?
Rui Costa, the contest organizer for Capitulo Perfeito, had to answer that question in 2015. After tracking a seemingly perfect forecast, they made the call to run the competition. “In terms of swell, we thought this one would have the size we needed,” says Costa. “That is, from six feet upwards. In relation to the wind, there was no question.”
However, when they arrived on the day of the event, the perfect barrels that they had been envisioning did not arrive. “The sea was big and began with a weak offshore wind which turned in the middle of the day,” Costa continues. “There were a few barrels from time to time, but not so many.”
That was when Rui made the controversial decision to pause the event. To many, it seemed crazy – everything was already set up, and Capitulo Perfeito is only designed to run for one day. The surfers wanted to surf and some of the sponsors were understandably concerned.
However, Capitulo Perfeito is all about barrels, and there were no barrels. “Capitulo is an event that has an identity. It’s an event that is recognized in Portugal and worldwide for being a barrels event,” explains Costa. “There are big names here, recognized worldwide as tube riders, who have come here looking for barrels and we’re not going to end the championship without barrels.”
So four days went by. Four days where the competition infrastructure sat idle and costs started to mount. Four days where it probably started to seem like the sponsors were right and Costa’s decision had in fact been crazy.
But then the waves returned. Barrels once again started to rifle down the beach of Carcavelos, and the competition ended in the spectacular fashion it had promised.
“It’s one of the reasons why we’re here, after six or seven years, on our way to the tenth edition,” sums up Costa, “and we really have the trust of the surfers that we approach, some of the best tube riders in the world.”
Capitulo Perfeito is currently on yellow alert, meaning the call to run the competition could come any day now. We’re still waiting for an official announcement, but thing is for sure: there will be barrels.
