Lucas Chumbo Chianca came to El Gringo two years ago. He was known for surfing big waves without hesitation. He excelled on big waves, but he didn't have even half of the worldwide recognition he has now.

It was a key 24 months in which he teamed up with Brazilian big wave surfing legend Carlos Burle, who pointed the intrepid Brazilian in the right direction. He took him to the places where he needed to be to prove himself and, as he has done all his life, he proved himself. He took on mutant waves that the rest of the pack didn't want to see and he started by first getting into the big wave CT, then winning at Nazaré, finishing fifth on the tour and finally winning the award for best world performance.

Now everyone knows Chumbo. “Nothing has changed for me,” he says. “I’m still the same person, I have the same vibe and I want to continue like that. Fame doesn’t matter much to me, I just want to be one of the best in the world.”

A little upset at having missed the Fiji swell, he spoke to DUKE saying that he thinks he made a good decision thanks to the amount of tubes he took.

He is the favorite to win at El Gringo.

How was the opening series of the championship?
It was amazing, El Gringo presented some really good waves today. My set was a bit slow, the swell didn't come in much and I knew the tide was full, so it's not the best conditions. I stayed a bit lower, I made another strategy. It worked out really well, I managed to move forward. Now I want to keep going in shape.

How do you always have an ace up your sleeve?
I always try to pull out my ace up my sleeve, I try to be in the best waves and if I don't find the wave I want, which was always the one furthest back, I stay a little further down.

How would you say Lucas Chianca is doing at the moment? Is he just a big wave surfer competing in some QS?
I am a big wave surfer today. My focus, my career is all about big waves, but I really like it and I want to win QSs and compete in some, even though it is difficult. So I put all my focus on big waves and becoming one of the best.

Today I am fifth in the ranking, I want to advance and be champion.

My focus is on big waves, but Arica is like a third home for me. The first is Saquarema, the second is Nazaré, and the third is here, the tube school. I learned to tube here and control the tube, so I have a lot of affection for it, I really like this place.

So, speaking of this, two weeks ago when they started talking about an epic swell in Fiji, did you already have your ticket booked to come here? How did that decision come about?
It was the hardest thing I did this year. I was in the south, I had a chance to win the big wave competition at Playa Cardoso and I had already bought everything for Chile. I had my car, the flight, everything and I really wanted to come to this competition.

Last year I couldn't come because I was hurt, but this year I was totally focused on coming here. Thank God I got here, but when I saw the swell in Fiji, I didn't know what to do, whether to abandon everything or come here and go to Fiji. What I wanted was to go to Fiji and come back here, but I didn't have time for that. I think I made a good decision because Arica presented itself to me with a lot of tubes yesterday, so I managed to heal a little from not having gone to Fiji.

You're still a little bit itchy about having missed that historic swell, aren't you?
Yes. Thinking back on my career, I lost the biggest swell in Fiji ever. For me it was bad, but I'm still focused on the event here, an incredible event. I really want to win this competition.

How was yesterday's hit?
It was amazing (laughs). I got there and I was thinking about Fiji and about here. I got in the water and I thought a little bit about Fiji but I just wanted to think about being here. So I sat down at the spot I always sit down at and the first wave I see is a barrel. The second wave I see is another barrel. Then a friend of mine, Raoni Monteiro, got injured. I went out, took him to the hospital. I went in the water again and the first wave was an incredible barrel. It was one of the best waves of my life. I was happy with the waves I caught yesterday because the waves were really nice and now I'm just thinking about the competition.

If we think about Chumbo two years ago, few people knew you. It was known that you liked barrels and big waves. Now, you have gained worldwide fame in the world of surfing, what do you think will happen?
One person changed my life a lot, my coach, Carlos Burle. He was the person who, when he started working, asked me: “What do you want to be CT or Big Wave Tour?” I told him that my dream is on the Big Wave Tour. So our first goal was to get in and the first time we worked together we got in and I was very happy. My coach is the best thing I have, the best thing that could have happened to me in life because he changed everything in my head. Today, I think about everything completely differently.

How did you think before and how do you think now?
Now I don't look for everything I want, just the focus. I'm just looking for what I need, the biggest waves in the world, the biggest competitions in the world, to be world champion. Nowadays we only look at that. This was my first year on the Big Wave Tour, I competed only in two stages out of three and I won the third stage which was in Nazaré. I am very happy with everything that has happened, very grateful to have Burle in my life because without him nothing would have happened.

How do you handle this moment of fame that you are having? Of appearing in magazines, on international sites, etc.
For me, nothing has changed. I'm still the same person, I have the same vibe and I want to keep it that way. Fame doesn't matter much to me, I just want to be one of the best in the world, catch as many big waves as I can and continue doing what I love, surfing big waves. I really want to represent my country as a big wave surfer. I'm living my dream and it's amazing.

And with all that, you still don't have a main sponsor?
No, I don't have one.

How can that happen?
I have a good excuse, things are bad in Brazil (laughs). The economy is bad.

I don't want to think about sponsors anymore because when I used to think a lot, nothing came up. Now I just want to think about performance, think about the best swells in the world, the best waves in the world and the competitions. That's how sponsors will come. If they don't come now, I'll continue doing the same.

How do you pay all the bills?
I have won some prizes and competitions and I reinvest all the money I earn. I come to Arica, I go to Fiji, I go everywhere. I have a sponsor in Brazil, a very big restaurant that helps me a lot. They pay for my tour and my trips, but I don't have a main sponsor. Many people have helped me, like my shapers. I have two, one for big boards and one for small boards. I have help, thank God. I am very grateful for that.

In any case, the situation has improved a lot compared to two years ago.
A lot. Two years ago I wasn't making any money. I invested everything I had. Now I'm making money go around. I'm a little calmer and going through a good phase. Now I just have to enjoy myself and keep working hard.

You look very relaxed in the big waves, almost like you're playing with them. It seems like you're not afraid. Are you afraid?
I am very scared and very respectful because that is what we all need to continue doing all that. Nowadays big wave surfing has evolved a lot in terms of safety, it is something incredible and it makes me feel more comfortable. I don't want to survive the big waves, I want to surf them. Do everything I can.

What would you like to do in big waves? What do you imagine?
I imagine myself doing good rips on giant waves, nice tubes at Jaws. Nobody knows the future, only God.

Above is the wave from day 1 of the swell, prior to the start of the event. Below is the wave from day 2: 

The meeting of three greats: @lucaschumbo and @___s_h_a_r_y___ and a great tube at El Gringo. Earlier today, on the best wave of the day. If you want to know what happened today in Arica click on the link in bio.

A publication shared by DUKE (@duke_surf) the 29's 2018 May Have 5: 01 PDT