Garrett McNamara and The Phenomenon of “Grand Canyon of Nazareth”

Posted on December 13, 2010 / 1,191 views

Portugal’s Giant Waves, Extreme Watermen Athletes “Tow-in”

McNamara surfs giant waves (7 to 9 meters) at Praia do Norte, Nazaré.

Nazareth – The biggest waves in Europe
Legend of Surf, Garrett McNamara, was in Portugal where giant waves caught seven meters in North Beach.

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VIDEO: Jose Pinto

Interviews with Garrett Mcnamara, José Gregorio, Ruben Gonzalez, Andrew Cotton e Al Mennie

“Heavy, heavy, I am deeply convinced that these were some of the heaviest waves ever caught,” said McNamara.

“I thought they were big, powerful and dangerous. Now I understand what Kelly (Slater) meant when I said that a mistake here could be our last! …

There, surfers are towed by Jet-Skis, which puts them directly in the wall of large waves, allowing them to surf and enjoy the waves that would otherwise go untouched, despite perfect.

Garrett McNamara, 43, is one of the big wave surfers most respected in the world, winner of multiple industry awards, as well as an “Extreme Waterman recognized” (name given to people with a strong appetite for physical activities of exploration of the sea such as surfing, diving, kite surfing, stand up paddle surfing).

The big waves can be surfed by man until a certain size. The limit of this size is measured by the ability of each to reach the speed of paddle capable of entering into the waves in question, technically speaking beyond the will and the courage themselves. From the moment when the rise velocity of water through the wall of a wave is greater than the stroke of the athletes entered the field of tow surf, or “Tow-in.”

Together with Jose Gregorio (ex-tri-national surf champion and one of the big wave surfers Portuguese most respected), McNamara surfed giant waves (7-9 meters) in Nazareth.

This action was also attended by Ruben Gonzalez (ex-tetra-national champion surf) and experienced Irish duo composed by Alistair Mennie and Andrew Cotton.

McNamara has explored the phenomenon of “Grand Canyon of Nazareth,” which allows the formation of large waves and strong in North Beach, the quintessential stage for a possible championship to be held in 2012.

The “Grand Canyon of Nazareth” is a rare accident geomorphological, Europe’s largest and one of the largest worldwide, consisting of a failure of the continental plate with about 170km long and 5km deep, opposite the North Beach, which channels the ripples of the Atlantic Ocean to this beach, with virtually no obstacles.

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