The “Lobos Por Siempre” Big Wave Invitational takes place at Punta de Lobos, a notorious left-hand slab that is often considered to be the pride and joy of Chilean surfing. This year, it just might be the biggest they’ve ever seen for a contest, and the likes of Lucas Chumbo, Naxto Gonzales, Greg Long, Cliff Kapono, Emily Erickson, and Kaiti McConnell are out there charging. The livestream (above) is entirely in Spanish and has a homegrown feel to it, taking me back to a time when underproduced, live surfing broadcasts were celebrated rather than disparaged in the YouTube live chat (WSL livestream trolls, I’m talking to you).
When it comes to big-wave surfing, though, that’s kind of what it’s all about – these guys out there are hurling themselves down mountains of water for the love of it. The recognition, international fame, and sponsorships are a relatively recent thing when it comes to big waves, brought on by larger-than-life personalities like Kai Lenny and Garrett McNamara and their popularity outside of just the surf community through TV and social media.
In other words, for a whole lot of heart and some very big waves, click play above.