MEO RIP CURL PRO PORTUGAL 2018
The tenth stop on the Men’s Surfing Championship Tour 2018.
The government in Portugal has played a huge role in elevating surfing as a serious contributor to the country’s tourism industry. For awhile they were offering a deal where they guaranteed that you’d score or your next trip was free. Unfortunately that deal’s not longer floating around out there, but there are still plenty of reasons to go tromping around Peniche.
First, there seems to be limitless swell thanks to the Atlantic wave machine. With a plethora of nooks and crannies to explore, if one spot is flat chances are good you’ll find somewhere to surf if you just keep driving. The wave at Supertubos is an ever-changing sandbar that can serve up some seriously heavy barrels (as its name indicates). For those that reckon themselves big-wave hellmen, Nazare is as big and scary as waves get.
With all the surf, be sure to slow yourself down and enjoy the Old World culture. Coastal Portugal rules. Sardines and fresh seafood are everywhere, and so is the locally crafted wine. When the Rip Curl Pro Portugal comes to town it’s starting to get to be a little late in the fall, and the weather can be a bit dodgy at times, but that’s all part of the adventure.
