"Fear is always present, but it is about knowing how to conquer that fear. The first time I saw the really huge waves coming at me, I thought: "This is a mountain of water coming in our direction, wanting to eat us alive." It was very scary - and it still is. Every time I go into the ocean to surf, there is always fear."
"It's a passion. When you love what you do, you want to get better and better. In surfing, there's always room for progression, room to improve yourself, room to ride bigger, more dangerous waves. There's just something about riding waves, nature in motion, that is quite unique. When I'm out there I'm in full turbo mode, ready to push the limits. This constant need to improve and leave a positive mark or impact for future generations of surfers is what drives me."
Nic Von Rupp moved from competitive shortboarding to big-wave surfing, tackling massive swells at Nazaré and winning the 2025 Tudor Nazaré Big Wave Challenge for best team performance. Fear accompanies every session, yet he treats fear as fuel to push limits and become a better version of himself. Passion and a constant drive for progression motivate him to seek bigger, more dangerous waves. He accepts injury and mortality as occupational risks while calculating actions, listening to instincts, and balancing control with respect for the ocean's power.
Read at Elite Traveler
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