Extreme Sports

Surfing in Portugal has been around for a while. A few pioneers in the 60′s began taking on the waves of Costa da Caparica, and soon enough it caught on with a select group of other enthusiasts. In the early days boards and wetsuits weren’t easily available, and the surfers depended on those who had boards brought back from other countries. Later on in the 70′s traveling Australian surfers left or exchanged boards and wetsuits for accommodation and transport, and slowly the surfing community was able to grow. In those days there were still few surfers, and many spots now well known where being surfed for the first time.

The first big surfing boom happened in the 80′s when surfing really took off as a sport and surf shops started opening up. With more than 600km of coast facing the Atlantic Ocean, Portugal has great surf potential , both in summer and winter. However, on the international scene it has held a low profile. In Europe, both  France and Spain have held a much higher profile in terms of the international surf community, Both these countries have been a fixture of the WCT ( World Circuit Tour – the world surfing championship is held throughout the year with events in various parts of the world ). Portugal on the other hand has been kept as somewhat of a secret for those in the know.

This has changed  drastically as of October 2009 , when Rip Curl decided to include Peniche as one of the places for the WCT. From one day to the other, with the help of live web cams, the world got to know of Portugal’s surf potential. The competition was a success. The quality and variety different waves surprised everyone, from organizers to the pro surfers. Portugal was put in the surfing map. The contest was so successful that it is being held again this year in Peniche.  Read more...

Although only a few skateboarders can become professional skateboarders, that doesn’t mean you can’t make that one of your goals in life. After all, someone has to fill those spots and it may as well be you right? With the right moves, plenty of dedication, and the desire to continually push the bar you just might have what it takes to make such a dream come true.

You can end up becoming a household name over night while you made it. You can be sure though such professional skateboarders have paid their dues over the years prior to such recognition. They don’t just wake up one morning with the desire to be the best or the skills to prove that they really are.

The sports life of a pro skateboarder is very short. Most of the professional skateboarders are between 15 and 25. Very few of them will continue such a career past the end of their twenties. The physical requirements on the body are simply too much for anyone to continue doing it for much longer than that.

When you are a professional skateboarder, your life has to be dedicated to the sport which means you do miss out on many other events including time with your family. You may have to spend many hours a day training and learning new tricks. Keeping your body healthy overall involves a great workout program as well as eating the right foods.

Also you have to travel a lot when you are a professional skateboarder. You have to participate in plenty of events. There are also promotional events to attend including fundraisers and speaking engagements. When you are in the spotlight like that you have plenty of commitment as well as responsibility on your shoulders.  Read more...