Flashback to 2011. Rui Costa, an events production maestro and a keen surfer, decided to blend his passions and do something truly different. Thus, the Capítulo Perfeito was born because, as Rui puts it, "There wasn’t any event solely seeking the tubes, the ultimate maneuver, the beauty of a barrel ride. There were big wave events, perfect wave events – but no tube-focused ones." In the unveiling of its 10th edition, the organizer adds that there wasn’t "any event with online voting, where the public chooses." That's how they managed to involve wave enthusiasts in the process and build a strong connection with the audience from the get-go.
In 2024, it’s the 10th birthday bash at Carcavelos Beach for Capítulo Perfeito. Plenty of newness is in the pipeline to stage a surfing spectacle, surpassing the previous year and upping the ante. In total, 16 surfers will tackle the most perfect tubes. Some invited by the organizers, some chosen by the public, as is customary. Confirmed for direct entry are past champions like Anthony Walsh, Aritz Aranburu, Bruno Santos, Nic von Rupp, Tiago Pires, William Alliotti, and international surfers like Balaram Stack, Dylan Graves, Michael February, Nathan Florence, and Rob Machado.
But not everyone is feeling completely chill: from the seven national surfers vying for votes – Francisca Veselko, João Guedes, João Maria Mendonça, Joaquim Chaves, Luís Perloiro, Miguel Blanco, Pedro Boonman Correia – only three move to the waiting phase. The same goes for the six from the new generation: among Jaime Veselko, Martim Fortes, Matias Canhoto, Salvador Catarino, Salvador Vala, and Simão Prazeres, only one will advance to vie for the inspirational prize they dream of winning. And rounding out the group, a wild-card spot awaits the winner of the Trials presented by UF Carcavelos Parede in memory of Dapin, an event happening during the waiting period of the main competition.
For Francisca “Kika” Veselko, the reigning junior world champion from the World Surf League, this addition to Capítulo Perfeito's 10th edition was the best leap forward surfing could have made. Watching the competition for a long time, she always wanted to be a part of it, pondering, “Why aren’t there any girls?” She’s dreaming big and aims to solve that issue herself, if she racks up enough votes to make it to the top 3 in her category. And what would it mean for her to finally be part of such a "perfect" day? "It would be a dream, possibly the first woman to join this event on a beach that's so special to me. It would be incredible to ride the tubes with the guys and learn from the best," she tells Time Out.
If you’ve never voted before and are clueless about how it works, fret not – it's a piece of cake: just hop onto the website and pick your chosen surfer in each category. You have until January 8th at 23:59 to do so. The waiting period kicks off the next day and spans until March 9th: during these two months, keep an eye on the ocean forecasts and atmosphere, seeking out the best day. The competition alert hits just 72 hours in advance.
The 10th edition of Capítulo Perfeito brings another twist: the prize money has increased to €40,000, including the Best Tube prize by 58SURF worth €2500, Highest Score by Go Chill worth €2000, Biggest Wipeout by Nixon worth €500, and the Ricardo dos Santos Attitude Award by Corona worth €2000.
With the event gaining more recognition, Rui Costa emphasizes why no one should miss this edition. “Because we have an incredible panel, catering to two generations, and because we’ve been lucky, nature has gifted us with incredible waves and an amazing day. Capítulo's day is usually a sunny winter day with perfect waves, so it's a day nobody would want to miss."