Nic von Rupp has a little black book brimming with secret spots. Portugal’s coastline spans nearly 1,000 kilometers, and von Rupp is familiar with nearly every nook and cranny. It’s why, swell after swell, von Rupp puts out new edits on his channel featuring unnamed (and mostly unrecognizable) waves, like the one above, simply called “The Right”.
In it, von Rupp brings his buddy Freddie Meadows and Southern California legend Rob Machado out on a dawn patrol ski mission, to an empty oil glass pointbreak somewhere in the Atlantic. While the fun-size surf doesn’t require a ski, the three still use one to hunt down the sets and step off into every wave in the perfect position. No reason not to when you’re out there all alone.
Despite saying he “never goes right” anymore, Machado looks as smooth as ever on his backhand, hammering section after section like he’s still filming for “Campaign 2”. Unless you surf Seaside in Encinitas, California everyday, Machado sightings are rare these days. We’ll take whatever we can get of his timeless style and approach. So go ahead, click play.