39°36'N · 9°04'W
f/2.8 · 1/2000
Born to dare
CalminsideChaos.
Nic von Rupp. Big-wave surfer, explorer, storyteller. Sintra, Portugal.
Plate 02.A · Sintra, Portugal
Born in Sintra.
Raised by the Atlantic.
German father. Portuguese mother. A childhood spent between forests, cliffs and cold water. He learned to read swells before he learned to read maps.
He doesn’t talk about conquering the ocean. He talks about listening to it. About patience. About showing up, every winter, when the Atlantic decides to speak louder than usual.
“The ocean doesn’t care who you are. That is exactly why I respect it.”
The Canyon
Five thousand metres
below the surface.
A geological scar carved into the Atlantic floor. The reason Nazaré builds mountains where other coasts only build waves.
And the sea remembers.
Plate 04 · Pre-session ritual
Five disciplines.
One ritual.
What the camera doesn’t catch. The hours, the breath work, the cold swims, the silence before the swell.
- IFear
Acknowledged, never denied. Fear is data. Use it, don't fight it.
- IIBreath
Two minutes underwater begins on dry land. Long, slow, repeated.
- IIIPreparation
Boards, fins, leashes, vests, jet-skis, charts, weather. Every detail.
- IVTeamwork
A solo image. A collective sport. Trust the people on the ski.
- VHumility
The wave is always older, wider, stronger. Approach as a guest.
A timeline written
by winters.
2010Pro Junior World Tour
Enters the international circuit out of Sintra. First taste of the global stage.
2017First Nazaré winter
Commits to the giants. Trades contests for charts, swells and patience.
2020Wave of his life · Mullaghmore
Once in a decade Irish swell. A ride that goes on every reel ever since.
2022TUDOR ambassador
Joins the #BornToDare family. Quiet partnership. Loud results.
2024Mountains of the Sea
Releases his most personal big-wave project. Atlantic as cathedral.
A personal project
Mountains
of the sea.
A film built one swell at a time, across three winters. About what it costs, what it gives back, and why some men keep going where most would never look.
“We don’t chase waves. We answer them.”
Five names.
One standard.
- WatchmakingTUDOR
Born to dare.
Quiet luxury, loud commitment. Heritage watchmaking and cold-water exploration share the same code: do the work, prove it underwater.
- Mobility & SafetyYamaha
The ski is the lifeline.
Big-wave surfing without rescue is gambling. Yamaha keeps the team mobile, fast, and home before dark.
- ApparelHurley
Built for cold cathedrals.
Wetsuits and apparel that take the Atlantic personally.
- EnergyMonster Energy
Fuel for the long winter.
Travel days, dawn patrols, two-week swell windows. Show up sharp.
- EquipmentPyzel Surfboards
Tools shaped for giants.
Custom big-wave craft, shaped to read Nazaré’s logic.
The vault.
Open archive.
Booking & inquiries
Let’s talk
winter.
Selective collaborations. Long-term partnerships preferred. Reply within fourteen days, swell windows excepted.
hello@nicvonrupp.com- BrandEndorsements, ambassadorships, long-form partnerships.
- DocumentaryFilms, series, on-camera, expedition logistics.
- SpeakingKeynotes, panels, brand events, mindset talks.
- MediaPress, podcast, editorial requests.
- ProjectsCo-creations, art, surf-adjacent ventures.
Available worldwide · EN · PT · DE