Photo: Catarina Falcão | Translator: João Diogo Rocha Pereira
“The Cave” is Ericeira’s most infamous wave. Its holed rights break over a rocky slab in which each wave develops as a steamroller, with no mercy to those who dare to wet their fins.
Youtubing “Cave Ericeira Surf” brings us a menu of epic sessions that took place there. One of these starred the young Hawaiian John John Florence exactly one year ago. The result was two stitches to the head and an equal number of bruises on the chest and feet.
WHO?
The young Hawaiian surfer, John John Florence, currently ranked at no. 14 in the world surfing circuit by the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP). Born in Honolulu, capital of the Hawaiian islands, and who turned 21 in October 18th, this wonder kid started surfing on his own at the age of three. Ten years later he was already competing among the sport’s best.
WHAT?
John John Florence went exploring Ericeira’s most frightening wave – “the Cave” – precisely one year ago.
WHY?
Florence was in Portugal competing in the Rip Curl Pro Portugal, in Peniche. The Hawaiian won its first round, which allowed him to take a day off. That was enough for him to take a brief detour to Ericeira and challenge Cave’s right-sided waves.
WITH WHOM?
Florence dared to enter the Cave without any experimental knowledge of the wave. He was followed by the American photographer Damea Dorsey and Jon Pyzel, the maker of his surfboards, and ventured to perceive the wave on his own. Without ever meeting the peak, it was with the help of Portuguese Ruben Gonzalez, who entered the water afterwards, that Florence was able to position itself in the right spot to take the most out of the wave.
HOW DID IT WENT?
The session yielded some nice pictures to the photographers who stopped by meanwhile, but Florence ended the day in the hospital. A wilder wave formed a step halfway and sent the Hawaiian straight to the rocks underneath. Luckily, it was just a scare: two stitches in the head and an equal number of bruises in the chest and feet didn’t keep the athlete away from the ongoing competition in Peniche.
Esta publicação também está disponível em | This article is also available in: Portuguese (Portugal)
