Surfing
Watch the final episode of our series exploring the lives of surfers in the Old World.
For surfers, Europe has always been a destination that offers promise of something more than simply wave riding. The remnants of eras long past often stand right at the water’s edge, defying the ocean’s penchant for constant, radical change. Not surprisingly, such an environment is always inspiring unique approaches to the act and art of surfing.
And sport. For the third and final instalment of our Made In Europe series, Southern California-based filmaker Matt Payne links up with fellow Americans CJ and Damien Hobgood and heads to Portugal, which in recent years has been the epicentre of surfing evolution.
While France holds the title of competitive surfing capital of Europe, Portugal is not too far behind, thanks to high profile WQS events and, of course, the Rip Curl Pro, held in Peniche.
And then there’s Nazaré. Say what you will about this theatrical big-wave venue – there’s no denying it has upped the XXL ante. In this episode, you’ll hear what Carlos Burle and Maya Gabeira, two of Nazaré’s brightest stars, have to say about their relationship with the break, and Portugal as a whole.
“Portuguese surfers, we’ve always had this passion for being in the water,” Tiago Pires says. “We had our most wealthy moment in history when we were discovering the world, but surfing is a foreign thing.”
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