Toby Cunningham and Nuno Santos are some of the most disciplined athletes I’ve ever come across. From their diet to their regimented physical training, it’s an understatement to say they stay at the “top of their game.” Their knowledge of the currents, swells, and weather patterns help them navigate even the gnarliest conditions as one of Nazaré’s top tow teams. Driving a jet ski is equally, if not more important than being able to surf the waves there, which is why training in all conditions is taken so serious.
Nuno Santos, a Nazaré local, is a well educated and talented musician. Nuno started surfing at a very young age, soon seeking out bigger waves while bodysurfing. Developing many talents over his life, Nuno separated himself from the crowd by incorporating his passion for music in to surfing, which is exactly why you’d easily recognize him as the man who plays his violin while on the face of 80-foot bombs. He’s a professional violinist and a big wave surfer, making him one of the most unique athletes ever to walk the planet.
His partner, Toby Cunningham, is a San Diego native and competitive swimmer turned surfer. For most people, the version of a perfect wave is something around 5-10 feet with a nice shape and maybe a good lip. But Toby’s version is more like something out of a horror movie. Words like apocalyptic, cataclysmic, fateful, and flat out dangerous are how you’d describe Toby’s perfect wave. So from the shores of Puerto Escondido, Teahupo’o, Shipstern Bluff, and Maverick’s, Toby’s hunger for big surf only grew. Now a full-time resident of Nazaré (at least during surf season), the Californian is now able to surf the biggest wave on the planet on a regular basis.
Both of these athletes take Nazaré with the utmost levels of seriousness, knowing that each time they enter the water they’re putting their lives in danger. Equally as important, they’re putting their lives into each other’s hands. Toby and Nuno have created a strict training schedule which they never stray from. Jet ski training, cardio, communication, and knowledge of the swell are just some of the measures the two train perfection.
Nazaré is a unique place, where everything you know about surfing goes right out the window, and it doesn’t discriminate on who it consumes. That’s why these guys prepare for the worst in an effort to be two of the best.
Editor’s Note: You can find more of JacuzziSurfer’s videos here.
