Here we go again. November 5, 2019, marks the first big swell of the winter season in Nazaré, Portugal.
Conditions weren't perfect, but that's what defines this place and these waves. Nazaré is a product of Mother Nature's authenticity and rawness.
Portuguese filmmaker Luís Coelho captured the power of Praia do Norte from different yet rather poetic and subtle angles.
The natural elements, combined with the fearless human spirits, provide a soothing and inspiring testimony of what Nazaré is about.
Nic Von Rupp, Lucas Chianca, Justine Dupont, Iain Cosenza, and Francisco Porcella were some of the first big wave surfers to taste the first bombs of the 2019/2020 Nazaré winter season.
First Wipeouts
Porcella was also one of the first to feel the consequences of a wipeout at Praia do Norte.
"The detonation was real, but that's when mental preparation kicks in," explains the Italian waterman.
"I was getting ready mentally for a two-wave hold down, and with a short interval between sets, it can get sketchy."
"So, I popped up facing the beach, turned around, and saw a white explosion with Von Rupp passing by and looking for me."
The hostilities are open. Hopefully, no one is going to get hurt.