For the first time since COVID a paddle-in Big Wave Alliance Championship is returning. And it’s not going to Jaws, or Nazaré, or Mavericks. It’s going to a wave most people have never heard of, Laje de Jagua, a remote slab way off the southern coast of Brazil. With support from Brazilian brand Mormaii, the Big Wave Alliance event, which was conceived by California legend Gary Linden, opened its waiting period July 29th and runs through November 30th. The big wave showdown will unfold at the rocky reef about 5 kilometers off the coast of Jaguaruna, in the state of Santa Catarina. The setup is basically perfect but also very fickle. It takes a huge long-period swell, ideally from the SSE to light up when it hits the shelf 2 meters below the surface. The wave can break in either direction but, given it’s offshore location, is very exposed and needs light or offshore winds and good visibility. The roster Linden has assembled is no joke, all heavies.…