Lucas Fink eyes record-breaking skimboarding wave in Nazaré
Brazilian skimboarder Lucas Fink chose Praia do Norte in Nazaré, Portugal, to try and ride the world's biggest wave on a finless board.
The infamous beach break is home to several Guinness World Records.
The Portuguese big wave venue has already witnessed the largest wave ever ridden, the biggest wave surfed by a woman, and the largest wave sailed by a kiteboarder.
The 2021 Nazaré big wave surfing season is officially open.
From October through March, hundreds of athletes and media professionals take over the town to search for their ultimate career moments.
Skimboarders, windsurfers, and kiteboarders are rarely seen here, but the surf-and-bodyboard-only paradigm is slowly changing.
Fink is not the first skimboarder to challenge Praia do Norte.
On November 12, 2015, Brad Domke rode his finless skimboard at the famed surf spot of Nazaré.
The stunt eventually earned the Floridian a "Ride of the Year" entry in the 2016 Big Wave Awards.
Mission Skimboarding
But Lucas Fink is taking Nazaré seriously - he's a man on a mission. The Brazilian rider is focused on a clear goal.
He wants to write a historic chapter for skimboarding, an underrated sport that deserves more attention from wave-riding enthusiasts, the media, and the world governing body for surfing.
Fink has been training hard in Nazaré since mid-October, getting used to his equipment and the technicalities and mechanics of the Atlantic wave canyon.
Lucas "Chumbo" Chianca is his partner on this quest.
The Brazilian big wave surfer won the 2018 Nazaré Challenge and is one of the most experienced riders and jet ski drivers at Praia do Norte.
Chianca is towing his fellow countryman into the fast-moving mountains of water produced in the North Atlantic during Europe's winter season.
And the more Lucas Fink gets in sync with Nazaré, the bigger and better the waves he descends.
"I've been testing equipment, synchronizing with the crew, and connecting with this magical place," explained Lucas Fink.
"I've been having fun and pushing my limits. It's been amazing trying to tame these giant waves with my skimboard."
"We've had magical moments from early in the morning until late afternoon. I'm doing what I love most and learning a lot in this mystical place."
A Matter of Time and Swell
The 23-year-old Brazilian is taking the Nazaré skimboarding project seriously.
Lucas's work continues in small shore break waves and out of the water, with Pilates applied to functional training.
Fink has even tasted the power of Nazaré's main beach break, a wave that sometimes roars to life south of the iconic lighthouse and Praia do Norte.
Can the Itacoatiara local put skimboarding in the limelight and boost its popularity worldwide?
The answer is yes. It's just a matter of time and swell.