Punta de Lobos, Chile, is a powerful big wave break that's home to the Quiksilver Ceremonial on the Big Wave Tour (BWT). Greenlit for Thursday, April 30, it is the first time since 2011 that the event has run and the first contest of the 2015/2016 BWT season.
But despite its fear-inspiring size and grandiose surroundings, the wave and its surrounding area are vulnerable to development. In an effort to protect the famous break, BWT surfer Ramon Navarro (CHL) teamed up with Save the Waves to designate Punta de Lobos as a World Surfing Reserve. The site was approved as a Reserve in 2013 (for more information, take a look at Save the Waves info page.
Further bolstering Navarro and STW's initiative, Patagonia is now matching donations to protect the land, in a campaign called #LobosPorSiempre (Lobos Forever). According to the campaign site, donations to the organization will help "safeguard biodiversity, protect surf resources, and preserve access for all."
More Big Waves:
Watch: Greg Long and Ramon Navarro drop in to perfect Chilean tubes
Get Ready: Big Wave Awards May 1