This.Seabizzle wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2018 10:43 amI am going to be so brash as to suggest that all the people being critical on this thread are not people who have significant experience in real waves of consequence
Sure the simple act of riding along the wave is not highly technical but there are just so many other factors and aspects to the feat and the experience of surfing or kiting in waves like this that cannot be understood unless you have experienced similar situations. It is purely foolish to pass judgement from behind your screen and criticize this riders feat.
Classic clueless keyboard warrior behaviour
No one is suggesting "nobody (else) can do this", but without being there & trying yourself it's crass to dismiss the person who HAS done it.
No big deal compared to Teahupo'o? There's no question that big Teahupo'o is a technically demanding, intimidating wave. However, comparing Teahupo'o - a reef break in warm, turquoise water, with a clearly defined channel, with dozens of boats & jet skis bobbing around, shallow, calm water on the inside & the most predictable wave on the planet, where thousands of rides have been made successfully, with the first person to kite at Nazare - a cold water, grey, crumbling & unpredictable, deep water wave set off a rocky headland with ferocious churning white water on the inside - is not a realistic comparison. Who knows what kind of currents & flukey, shifting winds you have to deal with? And adding a kite adds another different hazard you have to deal with.
That particular clip of tow surfing Nazare? I notice that very few of them show complete rides. I've watched many clips of surfing at Nazare, what I notice is that no one really gets in the "critical section" of the wave ... because the wave is so fast & unpredictable that it doesn't really allow it. The few who have attempted to commit, almost always get pounded. It's ironic, because Andrew Cotton has been criticized by keyboard warriors, first for not having the skill to "properly" surf Nazare ... & then criticized for getting caught by the wave in an attempt to ride a more critical section of the wave.