Surfers of Nazaré

Big wave surfers of the old fishing village Nazaré

For almost two months, I was documenting the big wave surfing culture in Nazaré, Portugal. Due to an underwater canyon, the swells can triple in size and have therefore become known for having the biggest waves in the world.

The locals were trying to find a way to bring as much tourism to the old fishing village during wintertime as possible and got in contact with one of the biggest big wave surfers in the world, Garrett Mcnamara. Along with others, Mcnamara worked out a security system to make the wild waves surfable. Every year the surf scene grew and more people started to come.

Several restaurants, cafés, and hotels have opened up since, and during the winter months, when the waves are at their biggest, people from the entire world stay together in the small village.