MORMAII BIG WAVE ALLIANCE: THE RETURN OF THE BIG WAVE WORLD SURFING CHAMPIONSHIP!

Supported by the State of Santa Catarina, through the Santa Catarina Sports Foundation (FESPORTE), and by the city of Jaguaruna, the Mormaii Big Wave Alliance marks the return of the paddle-in Big Wave World Surfing Championship, which has been inactive since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conceived by California native Gary Linden, a living legend of international big-wave surfing, the Brazilian project was developed in partnership with the Big Waves Brazil Movement (BWB), the Santa Catarina Surfing Federation (FECASURF), and the Jaguaruna Tow-In Association (ATOW-INJ).

The event’s waiting period opens on July 29, 2026, and will remain active, awaiting a major swell, through November 30, 2026!

WHO IS GARY LINDEN, AND WHAT IS HIS GOAL FOR THIS EVENT?

Known as the “Godfather of Big-Wave Surfing,” California native Gary Linden (75 years old) has been a key figure in the surfing world for decades. As founder of the Big Wave Tour (BWT) and former President of the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP, now the World Surf League – WSL), he made significant contributions to the recognition and organization of bigwave surfing competitions worldwide, taking the discipline to new levels and reaching broader audiences.

His efforts not only elevated the sport but also provided a structured, prestigious environment in which surfers could compete at the highest level. Living legend Gary Linden is an inspiration to many in today’s surfing community.

The Big Wave Alliance is a project designed to unite the world’s leading big-wave surfing competitions and qualify the best international big-wave riders to compete in the new World Championship.

The competition was created to bring together the global community of elite surfers and celebrate the sport at its highest level. The top surfers from established big-wave surfing competitions around the world will be invited to compete in a final showdown (the World Championship) at an internationally renowned wave. The place will rotate annually, allowing different countries to showcase their big-wave surfing potential and share the honor of hosting.

The competition will feature the world’s top 12 male athletes and top six female athletes. The winners of the World Championship final will be crowned Paddle-In Big Wave World Champions, earning the most prestigious title in competitive big-wave surfing.

According to Gary Linden, “by recognizing the best of the best, we capture the interest of audiences worldwide and secure a firm place in the international sports competition landscape. Crowning world champions is essential to achieving recognition, prestige, and credibility with major media outlets, while also taking the sport to new heights”.

LAJE DA JAGUA

The first edition of the BIG WAVE ALLIANCE will be held at Brazil’s largest wave: Laje da Jagua, officially recognized by law in June 2026 as the ‘National Capital of Brazil’s Biggest Wave’ and one of the country’s leading centers of big-wave surfing.

Laje da Jagua is a rocky reef approximately 5 km off the coast of Jaguaruna, on the southern coast of Santa Catarina. A swell traveling through water roughly 40 meters deep rapidly encounters a rocky shelf just 2 meters below the surface, creating perfect giant waves that break in both directions.

Officially pioneered in 2002 by Zeca Scheffer and Rodrigo Resende, the Laje da Jagua wave began attracting attention and new surfers. This led to the founding of the Jaguaruna Tow-In Association (ATOW-INJ) in 2005, which held Brazil’s first big-wave tow-in competition in 2006 and the second such competition in world history.

The ideal conditions for quality waves at Laje da Jagua are a large swell from the south, southeast, or east; a period of more than 13 seconds; and no wind or light wind. Because the peak is offshore, the wave is highly vulnerable to wind, which can quickly ruin surfing conditions.

Because the wave breaks offshore, spectators cannot easily watch the competition in person. To overcome this challenge, the event organizers have devoted significant operational and technological resources to staging the first event at Laje da Jagua with live coverage on the Big Waves Brazil Movement and FECASURF YouTube channels. A large screen will also be installed at the beachside event structure, along with a stage that will host a live music performance after the competition.

LIST OF COMPETING ATHLETES

The selection criteria for the competitors are: active Big Wave Surfing World Champions; champions of the most important recent events on the national and international circuits; and today’s leading paddle-in big-wave surfers worldwide.

The following top athletes will compete:

MEN’S DIVISION:

• Grant Twiggy Baker (South Africa)

• Nic Lamb (United States)

• Tow Lowe (England)

• Lucas Chumbo (Brazil)

• Billy Kemper (Hawaii)

• Kai Lenny (Hawaii)

• Pedro Calado (Brazil)

• Nathan Florence (Hawaii)

• Wilem Banks (United States)

• Sebastian Correa (Peru)

• Russell Bierke (Australia)

• Marco Polo (Brazil)

WOMEN’S DIVISION:

• Katie MacConnell (United States)

• Zoe Chait (United States)

• Justine Dupont (France)

• Bianca Valenti (United States)

• Paige Alms (Hawaii)

• Catarina Lorenzo (Brazil)

FOOD, CULTURAL, AND SPORTS ACTIVITIES AT THE EVENT

In addition to the sporting competition, the event will offer the public a pavilion featuring food, cultural activities (photography exhibitions, handicrafts, tourism promotion, etc.), and sports activities (big-wave surfing equipment, surfrelated functional training, physical recovery therapies, etc.), as well as large screens for watching the competition live and musical performances after the competition.

As Jaguaruna’s Secretary of Tourism and Sports, Dante Gentil, stated during the event launch press conference: “Jaguaruna is much more than the wave at Laje da Jagua, and the attention surrounding the wave and this event will help show that to the world, thereby promoting tourism in the city”. Deputy Mayor Henrique Fontana added to the Secretary’s remarks, highlighting the contribution that the Laje da Jagua wave, and consequently this event, makes to the city’s socioeconomic development and international visibility.

EVENT CALL SYSTEM

The event’s waiting period opens on July 29, 2026, and will remain open through November 30, 2026. During this period, when a major swell appears on the forecast charts, the event organizers will issue a Yellow Alert seven (7) days in advance, indicating that the event may take place.

If the swell is confirmed as suitable, a Green Alert will be issued four (4) days in advance, confirming that the event will be held.

If the swell does not materialize, a Red Alert will be issued, and the event will return to waiting for more suitable conditions.

The event will take place on a single day, at the peak of the major swell. At the end of the competition day, an awards ceremony open to the public will be held, featuring a live music performance. Activities may also be offered on the day before the competition; these will be confirmed and announced in the coming days.

TRIBUTE

The event will honor one of the great pioneers of Laje da Jagua, José Luiz de Matos Scheffer, better known as Zeca Scheffer, who passed away in 2006.

Zeca was born on September 1st, 1974, and built his athletic career in Torres, on the northern coast of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. He began surfing as a child and became one of Brazil’s leading big-wave surfers, recognized for his courage, pioneering spirit, and achievements at highly challenging locations, particularly Ilha dos Lobos in Torres and Laje da Jagua in Jaguaruna.

Zeca was one of the pioneers of tow-in surfing in southern Brazil, a discipline in which a surfer is towed into a wave by a personal watercraft. He founded and served as president of the Rio Grande do Sul Tow-In Association, created the Storm Surf Team (the state’s first team specializing in the discipline), served as president of the Torres Surfers Association for nearly ten years, and actively participated in discussions concerning the environmental preservation of Ilha dos Lobos.

The big-wave rider helped organize Brazil’s first tow-in championship (Mormaii Tow-In Pro), bringing together prominent names in big-wave surfing at Laje da Jagua in 2006.

Zeca Scheffer passed away at the age of 32 on December 22, 2006, following a car accident on the BR-101 highway while traveling to surf a major swell at Laje da Jagua. His death caused profound grief among his family, friends, and members of the surfing community, who held tributes at Ilha dos Lobos and in Jaguaruna.

His legacy remains alive today in the development of big-wave surfing. It is also preserved in Torres through Zeca Scheffer Square and the Surf Memorial Chalet, and he is always remembered during surfing sessions at Laje da Jagua.

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE EVENT?

Organized by: Gary Linden; Santa Catarina Surfing Federation (FECASURF); Big Waves Brazil Movement (BWB); and Jaguaruna Tow-In Association (ATOWINJ).

Presented by: Government of the State of Santa Catarina, through the Santa Catarina Sports Foundation (FESPORTE); Jaguaruna City Government, through the Department of Tourism and Sports.

Sponsors: Mormaii; Buttons; Satto Surfboards; Surfer Magazine; Kawasaki; JetSki Watercraft; Trilha SC PowerSportes.

Support: Tac Telecom; Jus Marcas; Nob; Grud Comunicação Visual; Kamuri Empreendimentos; Wolf Island Big Waves.

Media Coverage: NSC Esportes; Portal Waves; Surfguru TV; SurfeMais; Rádio H2O.

Social and Environmental Responsibility: FECASURF Sustainable Event Seal.