Thomas Traversa & Charlie Paris tackle the famous Nazaré surf spot
Winter storm chaser, world reference in windsurfing in big waves and equipped with his Concordia, the Frenchman Thomas Traversa sailed to the ultimate spot of Nazaré where the biggest waves in Europe are formed. A look back at this epic ride and presentation of the limited edition “Concordia Nazaré” watch that we released for the occasion.
- Nazaré, the wave where records are broken
- Thomas Traversa, world reference in windsurfing in storms
- Concordia Nazaré, the watch for thrill-seekers
1. Nazaré, the wave where world records are broken
Nazaré is a small fishing town of 15,000 inhabitants, located in the west of Portugal, known for giant waves up to 20m high. The secret of this spot to reaching such records? A 5 km deep fault in the Atlantic Ocean which stops just in front of the Nazaré lighthouse, forcing the wave formed underwater to stop abruptly and send all its energy back to the surface, creating gigantic waves.
This phenomenon has always existed but surfers were unaware of its existence until 2010 when the town hall sought to bring Nazaré to life in winter by alerting surfers to this potential spot. Nazaré has since been home to legendary waves like the 23m wave, surfed by Garett McNamara in November 2011. Since then, it is here that surfed wave records have been broken. Thus, the Brazilian surfer, Rodrigo Kox, broke the world record for the largest wave ever surfed, in 2018. It was 24.38 meters high, the equivalent of a building of approximately nine floors.
The waves of Nazaré are not known as being the most beautiful, but the biggest, the most difficult and the richest in sensations. This spot is tricky because unlike traditional shoals which generate large waves offshore and can be circumvented on either side, here you have to choose the right wave, the one whose shape will allow you to escape before it closes.
Every winter off the coast of Nazaré, colossal waves arrive and, as expected, the “big waves” were there this year! An exceptional spectacle, where extreme surfers meet. Among them, Thomas Traversa.
2. Thomas Traversa, world reference in storm windsurfing
This year, we teamed up with windsurfer Thomas Traversa to tackle Nazaré. In rough weather, with nearly 40 knots and 15 meters of wave. It is a huge honor for our team to have such a champion as an ambassador for our young watch brand. PWA "wave" world champion in 2014, triple champion of the legendary " Redbull stormchase ", Thomas Traversa has established himself over the years as THE world reference in wholesale windsurfing. Beyond his titles, Thomas Traversa is, in our opinion, an extreme adventurer who achieves feats that only he and a few riders in the world are capable of achieving.
3. Nazaré, the watch for thrill-seekers
During this session, Thomas Traversa wore the " Concordia - Nazaré ", our limited edition intended for lovers of sliding and thrills. Designed and assembled in France, waterproof to 300m thanks to its crown and screwed back, the “Concordia Nazaré” has an aesthetic that is as sporty as it is attractive. With its sharp and muscular style, its taut lines and its smoked blue dial, the "Concordia - Nazaré" displays a modern and sporty elegance. The indexes and hands of the watch feature Super-Luminova® to allow optimal readability in the dark. The Super-luminova® is the same color as the center of the “smoky” blue dial. On the back of the watch is engraved the topographic map of the depths of Nazaré, this engraving reveals the underwater canyon, located just in front of the famous Nazaré spot and which explains the formation of these mythical waves. For the automatic version, it is SOPROD with its P024 movement which wins our trust to equip the watch. And for the quartz version, it is the "Sweep Second" VH31 movement from Seiko which has the particularity of having a second hand which makes 4 beats per second. The watch case is made of 316L steel with polished, matte and brushed finishes. From an aesthetic point of view, 316L steel is a stainless steel whose shine lasts over time and does not tarnish. Its non-magnetic shielding meets the ISO764 standard. The unidirectional rotating bezel with 120 clicks for the automatic version is topped with an anodized aluminum disc.
In the press:
Thomas Traversa becomes the first person to windsurf Nazaré at size in port tack conditions -Windsurf Magazine
Windsurfer Thomas Traversa talks about the giant waves of Nazaré and how to survive them - Sailing and Sailboats
