Photo: André Carvalho
The final lineup for this year’s Capitulo Perfeito is locking into place. Recently, the 11th edition of the annual Portuguese one-day, tube-riding competition announced the invitees for the main event, but there were a few slots still to be determined. As of today, one of those spots will go to Santiago “Santi” Graça, the winner of the competition’s trials event.
Held at Carcavelos Beach, Portugal, the same venue as the competition proper, the trials event provides an opportunity for a local surfer to fight their way into the main event. Though they’re going up against stiff competition that will include a host of world-famous invitees, there’s some serious talent among those locals. In fact, last year’s trials winner, Tiago Stock, went on to win the whole thing.
Photo: André Carvalho
This year’s trials event took place on January 16, in six-foot sets propelled by an Atlantic swell. In a final heat that also included João Kopke, Francisco Mittermayer and João Moreira, Graça stood out by managing to score 15 waves over the course of an hour. With this victory, he earns a spot in the main competition and a chance at repeating Stock’s path to victory and hometown hero status.
There is still one place to be filled, however. A final slot, called the “Performance Wildcard” will be a last-minute appointment by the contest directors.
Now it’s just a waiting game, as competition organizers hold out for a worthy swell to deliver the type of perfect, spitting barrels that warrant a green light.
