'Divine Intervention': A Once-in-a-Lifetime XXL Wave In Ireland (Video)

In his latest film, a short documentary filmed and edited by Henrique Castanheira (@henricasta), we get a behind the scenes look at a what was the best run of swell in the North Atlantic in over a decade. After his opening statement about that wave, Nic leads us on a trip down memory lane to his first trip to Mullaghmore in 2013. He was getting ready to leave for Hawaii when he got a call from his team manager who told him Ireland was going to be pumping, prompting Nic to quickly switch his flights and head to the Emerald Isle. He reveals that he had never towed before that trip, which is almost crazy to consider giving his status today as one of the world's preeminent big wave surfers.

Then again, maybe that's not crazy. That's what happens when you combine over a decade of fierce training, natural talent, and sponsors like Pyzel, Tudor, Yamaha, Pyth, and Moncler (to name a few) . By all accounts, the start of the winter season blessed him with one of the craziest runs of any big wave surfer on the planet. The North Atlantic roared to life and kept the volume on full blast for weeks on end, rewarding Nic--who lives about the same distance from Nazaré as he does the Lisbon airport-- with ample opportunity to put his skills and training to the test. In addition to the wave of his life at Mullaghmore, he also brought home the gold in the Nazaré Big Wave Invitational just days before. On top of all that, he walked away from the run injury-free.

He went on to offer insight on just how rare good-to-epic big wave days are--like the conditions they had at Mullaghmore Head on December 18th, 2025.

While Nic is certainly in his prime, I don't doubt that if a run like this happens in his mid-40s, he'd be all over it. One key to his success is teamwork, from having a tow partner like Brazilian charger Gabriel Sampaio, that he can trust with his life, to a support crew of filmers, spotters, forecasters, friends, and family that all help keep his mind in the right place as he pushes the limits day in, and day out.

We see him and Gabriel exiting their flight to Ireland as he recounts the run, "This is day 17 of the swell, the 'everyday swell'. Started off in Ireland, with Gabriel, then we went back to Nazaré where had 3 or 4 swells. Then the competition, we won the competition. And our rest is to go back to Ireland on a 4am flight with RyanAir."

While most mortals struggle to get barreled on head-high days, Nic takes us through how threading the barrel at maxed out Mullaghmore is no easy feat, especially when hauling ass on a tow board. At the 5:25 mark we see as he nearly disappears from view as the wave's bottom drops below sea level and prepares to unload down the line.

"This was the wave of my life — a wave I dreamed about, feared, and chased for years. On this day, everything aligned: the swell, the forecast, the crew, and the moment. Riding Mullaghmore at this level is a humbling experience. Walking away healthy, alive, and injury-free after such a heavy run is something I’ll never take for granted. Huge respect and gratitude to the team that made this possible: Gabriel Sampaio for hand-picking this absolute bomb, Barry for having my back since day one, and Charlie from @Surfline for nailing the forecast. This is big wave surfing at its rawest — no margin for error, total commitment, and pure respect for the ocean. If you’re into big wave surfing, Ireland surf, Mullaghmore, Nazare, and once-in-a-decade swells, this one’s for you."

Whatever is in store for Nic's next chapter, we'll be stoked to follow on. For more clips and stories from the legendary day in Ireland, check the story below.