In Portugal, known for its giant waves and surfing championships, Nazaré is one of the cities in the world where I have had the pleasure of teaching my Workshops.

The story I am about to tell happened in September 2024, but it will forever remain in my memory.

It was gratifying to have personally met Garrett McNamara, who is responsible for bringing all this recognition to Nazaré when he set the world record for the biggest wave ever surfed in 2011 at Praia do Norte.

So, having a conversation with him at the Workshop was a unique experience.

On the first day of the Workshop, I met all the participants, whom I had never seen in person before, as they were from different locations around the world.

I realized that Nazaré was indeed a great choice to gather so many surfers and enthusiasts, as there were people from Germany, Spain, the United States, Brazil, the United Kingdom, the Canary Islands, and Portugal.

Many different cultures brought together in one place with the same goal: to make their own wooden surfboard.

Right on the first day of the course, I noticed how high-quality the woods provided by iPaulownia are, and they made all the difference both when starting the shaping process and in their final performance as surfboards.

After finishing the first day of the Workshop, we visited the Mercedes-EQ Lounge at the Porto de Abrigo in Nazaré, which is a place fully dedicated to sustainability; the space was built with recycled materials and renewable energy.

There, a large community of surfers always gathers, as it is a meeting point for all these enthusiasts preparing for the giant waves, and also a place for important discussions about our ocean.

Visiting this space right after we finished the first day of the course with all the boards glued was an honor.

But even more special for me was seeing the wooden Alaia Stiletto highlighted on the wall of the Lounge, in a spot reserved just for it. I signed the board for the second time, now in its permanent place, alongside the Sustainable Space of Mercedes-Benz in Nazaré. It was a very symbolic gesture, and I got very happy.

A visit that united everything in one environment: surfing, nature, sustainability, good company, and energy.

After the second and third days of the Workshop, all participants finished incredible shapes, and each shared a bit of their story. If you want to check it out, the link to watch will be in the button below. Greetings!