Capitulo Perfeito Is Back on Hold: Waiting Period Opens from 1 November to 15 December

Cascais, 28 October 2026 – The Cascais Capitulo Perfeito powered by Billabong is back on hold, with a new waiting period running from 1 November to 15 December at Carcavelos Beach. After an unprecedented postponement to the end of the year, the 12th edition is once again calling on the best Portuguese and international barrel riders to wait for that magic combination of swell and wind that can deliver one epic day of surfing. The call will come just 72 hours before the event goes down.

The contest never got the green light earlier in 2026, even after its waiting period was exceptionally extended until 31 March. With one storm after another rolling through the Atlantic during the winter, the conditions never quite lined up to deliver the kind of barrels that make Capitulo Perfeito what it is. Rather than compromise, the organisers chose to wait it out and stick to the event’s golden rule: only paddle out when Carcavelos is serving up big, perfect barrels.

“This is a unique event, shaped by the unpredictability of the ocean and an uncompromising commitment to perfection. We’re still determined to wait for that perfect day, which we believe will come between November and December. Last year, this turned out to be a great time for quality waves and barrels, so we’re confident another window will open for us to run the event in the conditions we’re looking for,” says Rui Costa, organiser of Capítulo Perfeito.

“Capitulo Perfeito is a great example of Cascais’ deep connection to the ocean and surfing, as well as our commitment to events that put the region on the map internationally. The ocean doesn’t follow a calendar, and waiting for the right conditions is all about respecting the spirit and quality of this event, which brings the waves of Carcavelos to the world stage. We’re extremely proud to see a project born in Cascais taking the name of our municipality and its passion for surfing further afield,” says Nuno Piteira Lopes, Mayor of Cascais.

Photo: André Carvalho

16 surfers. One wildcard still up for grabs.

The invite list is stacked, featuring Balaram Stack, Bruno Santos, Joel Parkinson, Noah Beschen, Rob Machado, Soli Bailey, Torrey Meister and Tosh Tudor. Flying the Portuguese flag are João Maria Mendonça, Miguel Blanco and Nic von Rupp, joined by Pedro Boonman, voted in by the public, and Tomás Valente, who earned his spot by winning the Trials.

Cam Richards is back to defend his title after taking the win at Carcavelos in 2025, while Anne dos Santos is joining the crew as the first woman to be included among Capitulo Perfeito’s international invitees.

There’s still one spot left to fill: the Wildcard Performance. Reserved for an international surfer hand-picked by the organisers, the final invite will stay under wraps until the days leading up to the event. In 2025, the wildcard went to former world champion and barrel specialist Joel Parkinson. With Parko already on this year’s invite list, all eyes are now on who’ll score the final ticket to the show.

The event will also feature the Women Special Heat, bringing together Camila Cardoso, Gabriela Dinis, Mafalda Lopes and Maria Salgado for a dedicated showcase of women’s surfing.

A new format means more waves and more time in the water

This year’s Carcavelos event is bringing a fresh format designed to reward consistency and keep the action going for longer. All 16 invitees will surf two opening rounds, with no one getting knocked out, guaranteeing every surfer at least three competitive appearances.

After the first two rounds, the eight surfers with the highest combined scores will move

straight into Round 4. The other eight will get another shot in a repechage round, where four more spots in Round 4 will be up for grabs.

Both the repechage and Round 4 will follow the same scoring setup: each surfer carries forward the score of their best wave from Round 2 and adds it to their two best waves in the round they’re surfing. From there, the top four in Round 4 punch their tickets to the final, where the surfer with the highest combined score from their two best waves takes the win.

The new format gives everyone a chance to surf different stages of the tide and takes some of the pressure off having to nail just two heats when the conditions aren’t playing ball. There’s also an extra incentive looking ahead: for this edition only, all four finalists will score direct entry into the 2027 Capitulo Perfeito at Carcavelos through wildcards. Normally, that privilege goes to the winner alone.

“The organisers made the right call by postponing the event and giving us the chance to surf a Capitulo Perfeito edition later in 2026, making sure we get to surf Carcavelos when the waves are at their best. It really shows the respect this event has for the surfers and the waves. I can’t wait to get back to Carcavelos, score some epic barrels and spend the day surfing with friends in the unreal atmosphere this crew always brings,” says Cam Richards, reigning Capítulo Perfeito champion.

Photo: Henrique Casinhas

From Carcavelos to the barrels of Desert Point

In 2026, Capitulo Perfeito took things to the next level by making its international expansion a reality. On 9 September, the Portuguese-born concept landed at Desert Point, Lombok, Indonesia, for the first-ever surf event held at this legendary wave.

Hawaiian surfer Makana Pang took the win, dropping a perfect 10 in the final and racking up 17.57 points overall. Bruno Santos, Ícaro Ronchi and Usman Trioko rounded out the top four, while Balaram Stack, Cam Richards, Pedro Calado and Sulaiman completed the eight-man field.

Pang’s win came with an added bonus: a wildcard granting him direct entry into the 2027 Capitulo Perfeito at Carcavelos, connecting the event’s international chapter with its home-grown roots in Portugal.

Now, with the stoke building for another get-together of world-class surfers and fans at Carcavelos, the crew is focused on the new waiting period. All that’s left is for the ocean to do its thing.

Want to know when the event is going down or find out who scores the final Wildcard Performance spot? Keep an eye on Capitulo Perfeito’s official channels, especially Instagram @capitulo_perfeito, and head to www.capituloperfeito.com for all the latest updates.