Tow surfing, in theory, makes surfing big waves easier.
With a PWC assist, surfers can ride waves moving too fast for human arms to catch. There’s also the safety element; someone wipes out, a ski comes and swoops them up.
For better or worse – from paddle purists, to tow disciples – the jetski has pushed the boundaries of big wave surfing. But sometimes those skis get into trouble, too.
In this recently resurfaced clip above, one of the best to ever strap in, Lucas “Chumbo” Chianca, is on the other side of the tow team, driving the ski. He’s towing Ian Cosenza at moderately-sized Nazaré. But things don’t go as planned.
After Cosenza let go of the rope, and is well on his way riding the wave, Chumbo lingers a little too long. Instead of whipping out the back, and over the shoulder of the wave, Chumbo gets caught in the lip. He, and the PWC, perform an unintentional floater for a few moments, before ultimately getting pitched over the falls. Close call for Cosenza.
Turns out, this clip is quite old. Cosenza posted it himself back in 2021.
Related: Potential New Record for Largest Wave Ever Surfed (Video)
Since then, it’s safe to say this tow team duo has perfected their process. Just recently, Cosenza towed Chumbo into, what might possibly be, a new world record for biggest wave ever surfed. It might even break the elusive, mythical 100-foot mark.
Following the (potentially) historic session, Cosenza wrote:
“Thank you @lucaschumbo for trusting my steering and the best big surf team in the world, for making everything safer.”
Practice makes…100 footers? Maybe. Stay tuned on that.
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