Cover photo: Tony D'Andrea

Former member of the Argentine national team, outstanding surfer of the WSL Latin America, the charismatic Facundo “Cuchi” Arreyes was missing after having had a few years of expressive results in world competitive surfing.

When he decided to return to the headlines of newspapers and magazines, he did so in style, or in a big way, one might say; in a weighty session on one of the most feared waves on the planet, Laje do Shock, he surfed the wave of the day.

Unfortunately, that wave did not end the way he wanted, but the determination he showed earned him the respect of his peers and earned him an invitation to every big wave event held in Brazil.

Born in Córdoba, raised surfing between Búzios and Mar del Plata, Cuchi says that he surfed “the wave of his life” and, in an interview, he gives details about how he experienced it from the inside and how he managed to survive it.

 

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How did it all come about that you ended up surfing that day at Laje do Shock?
It all started when I was in Argentina, during the pandemic, watching videos of the waves at Laje do Shock, which is about two and a half hours from home. And I started to get motivated, I said I was going to go.

So, this year I set myself the goal of being physically and mentally prepared to challenge that extreme place, which imposes a lot of respect on you. I was lucky that my friend, Paulo Diego “Imbica”, who is a pilot, moved to Búzios just this year, and he is, for me, the best or one of the best pilots of the Itacoatiara Big wave, and he is also a surfer. So he motivated me a lot, we trained together, and he told me that he would take me when the championship was held.

How did you end up with what was probably the heaviest bomb of the day?
The championship started early, there were only surfing beasts like: Chumbo, Felipe Cesarano, Gabriel Sampaio who is another beast from that place. I didn't worry about the names but I was focused on getting a good wave, so much so that I asked Diego to throw me on the biggest one, if possible; to throw me on the bomb because he had motivated me so much!

So he threw me into the wave of my life, I felt like it was the wave of my life, and it was the championship wave, but the moment I fell, there was a lot of pressure; I didn't know what was going to happen, it was all new to me; the bottom, the rocks, the tow in.

There was a moment when it seemed like everything was under control, what happened to end up in a wipe out?
I had never done a tow in before, without knowing how the wave broke, in which section. The advice I had been given was: get into the tube and never die without getting into the tube. I think that, later, watching the video, I missed the line and flattened the first section. It was to make the bottom really long and then in the second section get into the tube.

I received many messages from very important surfers like Kai Lenny or Hugo Santos, telling me that it was “the wave of the century” there in that place, for many it was the wave of the century, there. I am proud to have been the first Argentine and I think also the first Latin American to surf that wave. I am ready for the next one, surely next year there will be more tournaments. I have already been invited, so I am very happy.

It made me want to prepare even more, to see that I was there, at the same level as all those big beasts, it made me want to train more physically, mentally, the mental is very important to be able to withstand those wipeouts and that energy, and the big waves environment motivated me a lot, it's where I can bring out my best mental potential and I hope from now on to always be present in those big tournaments here in Brazil, and develop myself so that, in the future, if the opportunity arises, I can go to Nazaré or go to Teahupoo and ride giant waves, which is my dream as a child. Always progressing.

And how did that wipe out feel?
I caught the wave from behind, on my head, and when I was getting desperate Marcos Montero appeared and rescued me, he pulled me out of there. After that I started to understand the size of the wave, because I didn't know. Later, when I saw the videos and everyone was interviewing me in the sand and they were asking: “The Argentine, the Argentine!” because there were a lot of important people participating in the tournament and I was just a guest. After I caught that wave everyone was asking “where did it come from?” because nobody expected someone like me to be able to surf a wave that big.

"It was definitely the heaviest wipe out of my life. I surfed in Hawaii, in Arica, in El Buey, El Gringo, but there the shock is very extreme, very strong, very "chopped." It hits the rocks all the time, it comes back, you get very dizzy. It was a very big challenge for me."

It was definitely the heaviest wipe out of my life. I surfed in Hawaii, in Arica, in El Buey, El Gringo, but there the shock is very extreme, very strong, very “chopped.” You hit the rocks all the time, you come back, you get very dizzy. It was a very big challenge for me, and when I fell I did it pretty badly; I got caught in the rocks from behind, but I was able to soften the impact with the vest I had.

A few days later, are you okay now? Everything in place?
I'm fine now, and motivated for the next one.

We haven't seen you competing in the QSs, what are you doing with your life?
I have been out of competitions for a few years, since 2019. The pandemic slowed me down a bit and made me see other things in life, so when I arrived in Búzios I launched my surf academy with my brothers, the Arreyes Surf Academy. We are very happy to be able to work together and pass on what surfing really is; that it is not just about competition, being in competition all the time, but about transmitting what sport is, health, the importance of human development through surfing, that has me very entertained and happy, so we are going to continue with this project moving forward.

Any plans to return to international competitions?
When I'm "in a good place" and can financially stop working and do championships, I might go back to competing. More for the pleasure of coinciding with the date of some good wave. They will surely see me there. But doing a circuit like that, with the dollar so expensive, and with the current world situation, I don't think I'll go back, but you never know.

Now I am more focused on my personal goal, which is the company and making it grow with my brothers. We are doing well here in Búzios, Brazil. We are happy enjoying surfing and giving classes.