The craziest things in life can become reality if you really want them, express your desire, and, of course, go after them.

Patrick Castagnet had a professional past but in recent years he has been closer to taking children to and from school and taking care of his jobs than to water.

But that passion, that bug that every surfer carries inside, makes it impossible to stop looking at the sea and to return whenever possible, even if it's to Nazaré when you never did tow in, when you surfed four times a year and when your physical condition was closer to the nursing home than to the biggest waves in the world.

There, on a business trip to Portugal with his wife, full of dreams, the Panamanian wrote a message to Von Rupp and Von Rupp replied…

How did the idea of ​​going to the water in Nazaré actually cross your mind?
Accompanying Tuti (his wife) on a business trip to Porto, I checked Waze and the forecast, and everything was aligned.

How did you execute it?
My first idea from the Panama airport was to message Nic Von Rupp on Instagram; to see if he could give me a ride on his jet ski. I left it up to fate; if he messaged me, I'd go. As soon as I landed in Porto and got a signal, I received a very friendly message from him.

You're about 60 years old, we all know you're a legendary surfer, but come on, Nazaré was crazy, didn't anyone warn you that you were risking your life? Imagine your three children losing their father...
That's the first thing Tuti told me, but she knows how to choose her battles and she saw in my eyes that she wouldn't win this one (laughs).

From the perspective of an experienced surfer who has surfed all over the world, is it as heavy as they say it is?
It's a surreal place, mountains of sea. The foam is like a train always looking for a way to run you over.

Tell us about your best moments.
After my first wave, Nic was just as happy as I was. He celebrated with great joy. He shouted, "You surfed Nazaré!"

And tell us about your worst moments.
The foam from the fifth wave hit me so hard it knocked me under. The most terrifying part was when I couldn't find the line to pull up my life jacket; it felt like an eternity in that cold darkness.

And then, due to a lack of physical condition, I couldn't get on the jet ski sled, and the second wave of foam was what finished me off.

What's up, Nic? How can you let a stranger in just like that?
That was the craziest thing of all, I don't think even he expected me to show up at his hangar.

He and his whole team were so tired from three days of swell, and when he saw how much I wanted to race Nazaré, he felt bad telling me no. He said, “Let’s have some chicken for lunch to recharge our batteries and then we’ll head to the water.”

He asked me some questions beforehand, I had to lie a little (laughs). The truth is I'd never done tow-in, or used a board with straps… This whole year I think I've only surfed four times on waves no bigger than five feet (laughs).

Nic is one of the nicest people I've ever met, super friendly and professional.

Throughout this whole experience, he always prioritized my safety. He has a top-notch team; it's like a Formula 1 racing team.
The first thing he did was take me out on the jet ski right into one of the bombs to see my reaction. Then, outside, he tested me with a board stop and three rescue rounds.

His instructions were that we would start small and gradually work our way up. My first wave was a right at the fourth peak, from there we gradually increased the size of the waves and moved to different peaks.

When I asked him if I could go to the main peak to try one of the bigger waves, he said no, let's take it easy. It's a shame that after my fifth wave I couldn't recover enough to try the bigger ones.

So, can anyone with good physical fitness, an intermediate to advanced level of surfing, and a bit of luck surf in Nazaré?
I would say that physical condition is vital, but you also need the guts to throw things.

Mavericks and Jaws next destination?
If it's your turn, it's your turn, but you have to be well-trained.

"Now I admire big wave riders more; they're warriors. Being trained is your best lifeline; it's what I lacked to be able to surf the big waves of the day."

What did you learn from all this madness?
Now I admire big wave riders more; they're warriors. Being trained is your best lifeline, and that's what I lacked to be able to surf the big waves of the day.

It's a shame no one documented my third wave; it was the biggest of the five I rode.