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Ross Clarke-Jones one of the most known big riders in the world for surfing some of the gnarliest surf spots, even after turning 51 doesn´t show signs of slowing down. Quite the opposite.

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Last February at Nazare Ross after catching a bomb at Praia do Norte ended up in a place impossible to reach by jet ski. This time he could only rely on his own to get out safely from the “danger zone”. In this interview we get into this and other important themes about Nazare.

Beachcam – Ross, with 51 years old, what drives you to live this live, chasing the biggest waves around the world?

Ross Clarke-Jones – I'm not chasing anything, they are coming to me, I am putting myself in a position where the waves are coming to me, its time. 

B – Being one of the most renowned big riders in the world, what made you change from surfing some of the most known spots in the world for Nazare?  

RCJ – One of the biggest things would be the crowds, I prefer surfing with only a few people, Nazare has the perfect setup for me. But, the main reason is the uniqueness of Nazare’s wave! 

B – Episodes like this and even the last sessions, show that there was never a reason to mistrust the power and might of the wave at Nazare, like some big riders used to say it was soft or moochie. What do you think?

RCJ – Unless you have experience and ridden the wave at Nazare you should not comment. The wave appears in some photographers to be fat, mushy and or sloppy, beware, “Never judge a book by its cover”.

B – This was the last fright at Nazare. Fortunately everything turned out ok. Do you think that it´s a really dangerous spot, that sometime might claim victims?

RCJ – This is a really dangerous spot and has the potentially to claim lives, this "danger zone" I was in makes it impossible to retrieve a surfer from land or water.

RCJ after the episode that endangered his life and made him climb a steep cliff

B – Was this one of the biggest scares in your career while surfing? 

RCJ – No, not at all. The worst part was scaling the cliff (laugther).
B – What does one of the most influential names in the big riding scene have to say about the last sessions and the record contenders to the biggest wave in the world? To you, which one was the biggest wave ever surfed?

RCJ – I can’t answer that as I don’t know. We all had fun and all rode incredible waves. 

RCJ at the ceremony at the Nazare fortwhere he left his signed surfboard

B – Now that in your own words your season at Nazare is over, what do you plan to do, or see in Portugal?

RCJ – I´m looking forward to spending some time in Porto and exploring some castles. 

Ross Clarke-Jones in the meantime just appeared on the famous show 60 minutes exclusively about Nazare. Click here to watch the full clip.

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