Name: J. Marcos Torrado Fernández (Galicia)

NICKNAME: -

Age: 43

Height: 1,70 m.

Weight: 65 kg.

SPONSORS: Bomberos de Santiago de Compostela y La Casita de Elena.

How long have you been surfing?

19 years.

And catching big waves?

About the same as, from the beginning, I loved the adrenaline rush you get when you catch a really big one.

How do you measure waves, and at what point do you consider a wave to be a BIG WAVE?

When I start paddling and don’t dare look behind me.

How do you feel when you catch a BIG WAVE, doesn’t it frighten you?

Sure, it’s frightening, but that’s the point.

Which do you prefer, Paddling or Tow In?

I’ve never tried tow in (though I want to) but in theory it seems to me that there’s more merit in paddling to catch a big wave.

What do you think of the opportunity that the Concello de Vigo and Dakine are offering, and what’s your opinion on the possibility of it’s continuity?

That it was time.  Given the right conditions it will be a real performance and for sure it will encourage a lot of surfers to try riding the big waves.  This is great because lots of times, when the waves are big, you find yourself alone in the water.  As for the continuity, I guess that depends on the economic results of the competition, not the prizes for the competitors but for the organization.
 
What are the last waves you caught, and how big were they?

The last ones were yesterday in Patos and it was a disgusting dip (1/2 metre weakened by the wind and dirty)

Observations.

This competition seems like a really awesome idea to me as this type of competition really gets close to what, in the beginning, were the origins of surfing.  And that you’re making a huge effort in favour of the sport.  Now we just have to wait for the right conditions and then rock out.