Three Possible Backup Sites Added to Supertubos
If you've been watching the North Atlantic weather or reading Craig's forecast for the Rip Curl Pro Portugal, then you'd be aware competitors - and everyone living in Peniche - are in for a wild ride.
Dawn broke today (Sunday local time) with 12 feet of northwest swell and fresh northwest winds. Tuesday will see another northwest swell, this time to 8 feet, with the wind blowing dogs off chains from the same direction. Ditto Friday and Sunday, with both those days seeing northwest swell to 15 feet and gale force northwest wind.
The main contest site at Supertubos is slightly sheltered from northwest swell, however a stiff wind from the same direction will tear it to shreds.
Knowing what was coming, the Wozzle's contest and tour team scouted the options and have confirmed three backup locations:
- Molhe Leste
- Pico do Fabril
- Pico da Mota
Molha Leste is the breakwall wedge at the northern end of Supertubos beach, which has been used for the odd round of competition before, albeit not for a few years. Of all the waves on the Peniche peninsula it offers the most shelter from northwest wind, also from northwest swell.
During the northwest onslaught, Molha Leste should offer enough protection. Also, considering it's just 500m up the beach from Supertubos it's the easiest location to switch to.
The other two locations - Pico do Fabril and Pico da Mota - are both open beachbreaks north of the town, and which face square into the northwest swell. Each will handle winds from the south to the east.
Pico de Fabril, AKA The Factory, was last used as a backup site in 2016.
Pico de Mota is even further north. It's been listed as a backup site a few times before, though it's never been used.
Comments
Sanity prevails.
Maybe some windows of S wind in between fronts they could go to the N facing back-up sites.
Two pretty good events done and some sensible planning for event 3. Is this the turning point needed for some building WSL credibility…….oh hang on Treatles finale is still a thing.
Sweet!
Surfed Pico de Mota back in 07.
Very fun 3foot banks and solid surfcoast vibes from the cliffs / sand and water temp.
Surfed off the break wall Molha Leste in 2000 a few times, great wave lots of boogie boarders back then, and not many surfers. Looks the same in the video just more boogers and a few more surfers. Had a Leyland Daf van to live in but we stayed in town with a couple from West Oz. Pretty sure there was a fish processing plant on the other side of the break wall or something putrid like that, it pumped all the old rotten goodies out not far from the wave. Over night my now wife and I woke to find that slowly I had diarrhea draining fom me in my sleep. I was the sickest I have ever been for days. Ended up with an ear infection that took months to get rid of to top it off. Fun Wave though.
Wow, # vanlife
Good! Supertubes is mostly shit
Sounds pretty inviting Finnbob.
Obviously the tourism promotion using a CT event at Supertubos is wasted on me.
Wonder why Baleal not an option too.
And does this open the door for bells to have backup options again?
Like, I’d rather they stay away from Johanna as I don’t want the Woz anywhere near there. But at least 13th.
The first two events have only reinforced what we've always known - competitions with good waves make for much more compelling viewing. Backup locations must surely be a critical part of achieving 'best surfers in best waves'. Appreciate the infrastructure and difficulties moving, but hopefully working out ways to make the contests more mobile would result in increased viewership that would more than offset the increased cost to achieve mobility.
Bells is a shocker, running in 2ft cross-shore when it's 4ft and offshore not that far away. Maybe their desire to get than entry fee makes them less willing to be mobile for that particular contest? Having to encase the entire contest site with fencing and gates would make it less mobile for sure.
Yeh, it's not that the backup locations have to pump, but at least give as fair contestability as possible for the surfers and then be able to utilise the best days at the main location
When talking infrastructure at Bells for example 80% is really not needed. VIP viewing and competitor and hangers on lounge areas are not critical to surfing. Places for cameras and judges are. Set the platforms up for those essential at three locations and bingo ready to go. Lets the VIPs watch it from a Three Blue Ducks in Tulla on a big screen and give the fans back a place to see the action.
Theres a boom gate on the MP at the ferry charging to get in here, double for the WSL.
Looks like these back-up spots are really going to get a workout- hard to see a single good Supertubos day in the f/cast.
Meanwhile, the Goldy is about to enter another endless trade swell cycle.
Can we end this Portuguese charade please?
Last day of allotted days could see Supertubos firing…but yeah…it’s a long shot…and meanwhile better reefs and points in Portugal could offer and provide more. Peniche local gov must have a lot of pull.
Without the odd day of pumping waves during the comp over the years the joint is another puss beachie
You’d think with the contest being supported by the Portuguese tourism board that you could have a mobile set up (like they used to do on the French beachies) and run it at the best venue in all of Portugal for the forecast period.
Not sure of the breakdown, but three tourism bodies are listed as supporters. One is national (Portugal Tourism), two are regional (Oeste Portugal and Munícipio de Peniche).
I'd say the understanding is that the comp has to be within Peniche.
Makes sense…I can always recall the Mayor of Peniche being front and centre with his nose no doubt fully in the trough
Funny they were all over the pros giving their little personal f/casts for Hawaii.
No sign of that for Portugal.
No offical f/cast up that I can see, a day before the event starts.
A bit of local knowledge wrt to the f/cast and alternative sites would actually be very helpful right about now.
So what's the verdict - heats on day 1?
Good to hear WSL have plan B & C
A one minute SL forecast says everything & nothing about the contest conditions....
I look forward to Steve's commentary, regardless of the waves....
Pico de Mota was used. Can't remember what year, might have been 08 or 09? But I definitely trekked down there for some non-consequential early round heats.