Garrett McNamara befriends the sea monsters

Garrett McNamara is one of our greatest inspirations and friends. “Pathos and passion” incarnate, he nurtured dreams of pro-surfing since youth. He got global recognition by surfing some of the most iconic waves in America, such as Jaws and Waimea Bay, in Hawaii, where he grew up, and the icy swell of Alaska. But his career took off when he found his way to the giant waves of Nazaré, Portugal. 

Until 2010, the 10,000-habitant town of Nazaré relied almost exclusively on its summer tourism. Dino Casimiro, a local teacher, had been fascinated by the colossal winter waves, often hovering at 70-80 ft tall (approximately 21-24 meters, or an 8-story building), since childhood. He saw in them an opportunity for a different kind of crowd. A simple Google search led him to Garrett, and together, with the support of the city council, they set out on the mission to make Nazaré an extreme surfing mecca.  

Garrett enticed an international team, including his wife Nicole and many local men, to put Nazaré, Portugal, on the map for extreme surfing. Al Mennie, a big wave surfer from Ireland who also joined the team, describes Nazaré as “Unlike any other big wave spot.” “It’s a different animal. It comes in, and it’s taller and taller, and it wobbles, and it moves, and it shifts, and it breaks a bit, and a bit more, and it… Whrraa!” he continues, mimicking clawed hands. This depiction is what got those waves the nickname of “sea monsters.” Garrett is confident that this is where he will meet and ride the legendary 100-foot one. The adventure is captured in the HBO series 100-Foot Wave, which has received multiple awards, including eight Emmy nominations and two wins. 

We are proud to count Garrett McNamara as a founding member of Thule Crew, our core group of ambassadors. Since we started working together over a decade ago, Garrett has been the face of some of our most cherished products. We are now taking our partnership a step further by collaborating with Garrett McNamara on the design of our very first surf bag. 

In designing this bag, we all had one priority: making it as sustainable as possible. For Garrett, it was important to simplify how surfers travel and help them rely on one bag instead of ten. The choice of material, versatility, and modularity were all thought to ensure that the bag never ends up in a landfill. “I’ve always loved the ocean. Everything that I have comes from the ocean and Mother Earth. My job is the ocean. I feel a deep sense of responsibility to protect it.”

Garrett McNamara lives in the mountains of Italy with his wife and manager, Nicole, and their children. Despite the lack of waves and the colder climate, when they stumbled upon a 500-year-old organic village with a great sustainability-focused school and community, they knew they had found the perfect ground for their family. “We ride our bike with the Thule carrier on the back, or we use the stroller to walk our two-year-old. It’s a dream.” 

Garrett and Nicole McNamara embody the Thule spirit to perfection. Asking Garrett about his vision for the future, he answers:  “Helping people get outdoors and fall in love with nature, that’s the goal. The goal is to create stewards of the earth.” We couldn’t agree more.