Aritz Aranburu has taken out the Perfect Chapter 2016, in Praia do Norte, Nazaré, Portugal.
The surfer from the Basque Country defeated Balaram Stack, Dylan Graves, and Gabe Kling in a spectacular final held in 10-foot waves. The event has once again put 16 experienced tube riders in testing conditions.
"It was an amazing day. I had already surfed here before but never with such good waves. In the third round, I had a very special heat, and started building up my confidence," explains Aritz Aranburu.
"I knew I was going to meet very strong opponents in the final so I kept my feet on the ground. I’m glad I came up on top. Thank you, Nazaré. What a day!"
It was the biggest and the best Perfect Chapter in the history of the event. Aranburu was also awarded the "Best Tube Ride" and the "Best Score" for his impressive performance in the challenging lineup.
Balaram Stack ended up winning the "Ricardo dos Santos Commitment Award" for his daring display in the deep barrels of Nazaré. The "Best Wipeout" went to Bruno Santos and Nic Von Rupp.
This was the first time that Perfect Chapter took place in Nazaré, coming a long way from Peniche (2012 and 2013) and Cascais (2014 and 2015).
After providing the dramatic scenario for the most impactful big-wave sessions of the last decade, Praia do Norte proved to be the most versatile and all-around beach break in Europe, with a sandbar able to produce dreamy conditions for every kind of surfers.
Alex Botelho, Bruno Grilo, Eric Rebiere, Felipe Cesarano, Francisco Alves, João Guedes, Marlon Lipke, Ruben Gonzalez, and Tiago Pires also competed in the Portuguese big wave invitational.
Perfect Chapter 2016 | Final
1. Aritz Aranburu (EUK), 16.75
2. Balaram Stack (USA), 15.60
3. Dylan Graves (PRI), 15.25
4. Gabe Kling (USA), 11.15