This harrowing ordeal has apparently been called “the big ugly” by National Geographic. The drone footage was captured by Portuguese production company Máquina Voadora, and here’s what they had to say about the incident:
“Brazilian professional surfer Pedro “Scooby” Vianna takes an epic spill from his board during a storm in Nazaré, Portugal. By February 28, Scooby was tearing down the tide at 45 miles an hour on his rattling surfboard. There was a 70-foot mountain of water avalanching behind him. The seething spume nipped him from behind and sent him bombing into the fray in a violent back flop. Scooby’s friend and fellow Brazilian, Lucas “Chumbo” Chianca, rode in on a jet ski to pick him up before the next monster set rolled in. Scooby grabbed ahold of a rear tow board latched to the jet ski, and they sped away in an attempt to outrun the next wave. Chumbo soon lost control in the choppy whitewater, and the jet ski capsized near some dangerous rocks. Another massive wave was right behind them. Two people now needed a rescue. How did Scooby and Chumbo finally escape the chaos? Everaldo “Pato” Teixeira, a veteran big wave surfer from Brazil, tore in on yet another jet ski. In a deft and coolheaded rescue bolstered by years of experience, Teixeira rescued Chumbo and Scooby, both of whom were relatively unscathed.”
The incident was cut into a short film titled The Big Ugly, and was an official selection and winner in this year’s Los Angeles Drone Film Festival (yes, there is such a thing).
