Surf’s up in Ericeira

More than ten years after my first attempt to ride the waves, I returned again last Sunday. Last time, we were at Waikiki Beach and my brother-in-law attempted to teach me to ride a long board. I got up, once, for about three seconds and considered it a successful venture despite some pretty painful board burn on my improperly protected stomach and chest that night and the next day. Kelly Slater I was not.

All up and down the Portuguese coast, surfers can be found on the beaches and floating in the sea awaiting a wave of their choice. A couple of years after moving here, I resolved to give it another go in 2022. To the north, Nazaré is famous for its giant waves for experts only. Closer to home, Guincho Beach is popular and has lots of schools but when the wind is whipping and the seas churning seems to be above my level of, well, cluelessness.

So for my second attempt, albeit almost a year late for my 2022 resolution, we struck out in between, to Ericeira. Ericeira is a surf town. Boards accompany many strolling down the streets of old town. Its many beaches team with surfers and surf watchers. And so, for a surprise for a visiting friend, we arranged some private surf lessons with Semente Surf School.

As you pass the prominent surfer statue atop the hill overlooking the Praia Ribeira d’Ilhas (River of Islands Beach) and turn into the parking lot dotted with wetsuits and boards, you know you’ve arrived: surf HQ.

We donned our rented wet suits and struck out for some warm ups and on-beach lessons and after some stretching we took to the waves. Our coach, Andre, expertly guided us, pushing us into the current, shouting “Up! Up!” when it was time to stand and giving tips and pointers between attempts to improve our technique. “Look at the top of the cliff”, “Eyes forward”. “Don’t look down, you look down, you’re dead”. We rode with varying levels of success and some outright failures for more than our allotted time and emerged exhausted, smiling and sore as the tide rolled further in and waters grew foamier.

Kelly Slater I’m still not, but I’ve vowed to attempt again, and not let ten years lapse until the next.