Vitor Oliveira

Before surfing was even a popular pastime for tourists in Hawaii, Germany was already making artificial waves. Here's the story of Undosa, the first-ever wave-generating machine. Wave pools aren't new, and surprisingly or maybe not, they preceded Duke Kahanamoku 's inaugural surfing exhibition in California in 1912. In the mid-19th century, a lakeside resort for numerous summer day trippers coming from Munich was built in Starnberg near the city center and the train station. Around 1900, the public baths developed into a sophisticated structure for over 500 guests, with several swimming pools, and over 100 bathing cabins. There was also a cafe inside the pool where women received swimming lessons. In 1905, a new facility was built and added close to the resort to offer visitors a new attraction and previously unknown experience: the Undosa. Undosa, the Latin expression for "wave kingdom," was a water basin featuring a wave machine. The structure built into...

Jacob Szekely has become the first-ever surfer to do a board transfer in a World Surf League (WSL) competition. The idea grew on the opening day of the 2024 SLO CAL Open Pismo Beach, a 3,000 Qualifying Series (QS) event held in Central California. Szekely was feeling relaxed and ready for his first heat, Round of 112. He even asked the event's beach marshall if he could go for a pier jump before the heat started. In the water, everything was going smoothly and easily for the flamboyant West Coast surfer. Szekely was leading the heat and ready to move through to the next round. But, suddenly, he paddles in. "Hold on - this is a little drama. Maybe a fin cracked," the WSL commentator stressed. It wasn't equipment failure. "Zeke" had other things in mind. He got into terra firma, grabbed a soft-top funboard, and paddled out again. With only a few minutes on the clock, the 28-year-old took off on a wave riding the foamie, did a few turns, and put another...

Of all the measurements that are often used to evaluate, analyze, dissect, and score surfing and surfers, there is one that is rarely mentioned - speed. The size of a wave and the length of a ride are two very popular variables within recreational and competitive surfing. Although they might not tell us much about a surfer's performance, they are certainly the most portrayed in mainstream media. Who cares if a Guinness world record breaker wiped out or did not ride the whole wave from top to bottom? If the wave is big, then that's the story that gets published. As with many other sports, surfing is also a matter of superlatives. But why has (top or average) speed not been scrutinized more? Why isn't there a contest, an award, or a prize for the fastest surfer? The truth is that there has been an attempt to measure and embed speed data into professional competitive surfing. The First Need for Speed In 2011, the late ASP World Tour introduced an innovative feature. ...

Whether they're used in tow-in surfing or surf rescue, personal watercraft (PWCs) are an important part of wave-riding activities. Here's what makes the best jet skis for surfing. Jet skis, originally termed "water scooters," made their debut in the 1950s. However, it wasn't until Kawasaki introduced its model in 1973, influenced by Australian Clayton Jacobsen's design modifications, that it gained widespread recognition. These alterations included a change from a seated to a standing position for the driver, the introduction of an internal pump jet, and the use of fiberglass in construction. The term "jet ski" is actually a commercial designation coined by the Japanese company for their first PWC model. The JS400 was a stand-up jet ski powered by a two-stroke, two-cylinder 400cc engine. Today, the personal watercraft market is bigger and worth around $1.5 billion. The best-selling jet ski brands are Kawasaki, Yamaha, and Sea-Doo. Jet Skis i...

Lucas Chianca has taken out the 2023 Nazaré Big Wave Challenge at Praia do Norte in Portugal. The day started with 25-foot waves and wrapped up with 35-foot-plus waves - not the biggest Nazaré can deliver, but with plenty of walls to work on. Swell picked up gradually throughout the day, with consistent, clean sets marching toward the Nazaré shoreline. At noon, there were no long lulls and no shortage of waves - just perfectly defined peaks and slightly bumpy water surface. Nine teams of two competitors surfed two 40-minute heats, with each team member alternating between surfing and driving the team's jet ski.  Each surfer keeps their best two scoring rides, and the highest number counts double, meaning a surfer's highest possible total score is 30 points. It was a hectic first heat, with all surfers getting nearly all the good waves on offer and making judges' work difficult. Michelle des Bouillons put on a superb show and suffered an eye-striking wipeout, but the...

Five-time world champion Carissa Moore announced that she will be stepping away from competitive surfing to start a new chapter in her life and career. The 31-year-old from the South Shore of Oahu will compete on home soil in the Pipe Pro before withdrawing from the Championship Tour (CT) and will receive the wildcard to compete in the Tahiti Pro. She will then compete in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games before taking some personal time away from competition. A born competitor who always brings her A-game and has showcased her greatness on the CT since 2010, Moore is opting to step away from that aspect of her life and career. At the forefront of surfing's progression for years, the Hawaiian has decided to challenge herself outside of the jersey following the Olympic Games.  "I'm excited to see what else there is, outside the jersey," Moore said. "I don't like the word retirement. I like to say a departure from the tour, or just stepping back, or switchin...

Unlike Central European countries, Portugal does not have many river waves. But as the saying goes, "Surf is where you find it." Portugal has around 300 rivers and tributaries. Most flow into the Atlantic Ocean, where surfing is already a familiar and often overpopulated activity. Therefore, surf tourism has focused on coastal communities along continental Portugal, the Azores, and Madeira. However, river surfing has increasingly gained new enthusiasts and participants worldwide, and the exploratory missions to discover new rideable spots have intensified. One of the oldest and most famous river waves is the Eisbach in Munich , Germany. The river surfing break has been ridden non-stop since 1972 in the heart of the Bavarian capital. It is now one of the city's most popular tourist attractions. The stationary wave flows nearly all year round and gets surfers queuing for their turn, night and day. According to SurferToday's world river surfing map , Portugal on...

Wavegarden launched Liner System, a waterproof geomembrane solution for wave pool floors. Waterproofing a lagoon with waves is considerably more complex than waterproofing a still body of water. Simultaneously, designing a solution for a surf pool demands a specific technology capable of withstanding the forces generated by the breaking waves. According to Wavegarden , the Liner System has been tested extensively since 2011 at the company's R&D facility in the Basque Country. The waterproof wave pool blanket was initially installed at two lagoons in Praia da Grama and Garopaba in Brazil. "The civil works and waterproofing of surfing lagoons have historically posed significant challenges in our sector," explained Josema Odriozola, Founder and CEO of Wavegarden. "After many years of meticulous research and development, we are excited to confirm that we have an efficient, robust, and proven solution." Liner System: The Advantages Wavegarden believes t...

I was born in Utah's Salt Lake City Valley and didn't see the ocean until I was 12 years old. In 1995, my older brother and his family moved to Hawaii, and during my first visit, I fell in love with longboarding and bodysurfing. I took that new love of the ocean with me to Spain, where I lived for 15 years. I would travel often to Northern Spain, Portugal, and Morocco to bodysurf. Ten years ago, I returned to Hawaii with my family and am blessed to be able to work here in Oahu teaching Spanish and Creative Writing. And most importantly, I'm able to surf daily. Dominick Nicholas Valdivia's video poem of me bodysurfing Pipeline is from my upcoming poetry book "Waves & Ohana," which will be published in late Spring 2024. I have previously published the poetry books "Beyond Heroin" and "Termites: The Illegal Occupation of Paradise." What I love about poetry and bodysurfing is the freedom and creativity of both activities. I am als...

The Da Hui Backdoor Shootout is an alternative surf contest. The Hawaiian event subverts all the standard rules of competitive surfing. If there's one thing that native Hawaiian surfers are proud of is their Polynesian culture. The Da Hui Backdoor Shootout is a unique surfing competition created in 1996 and run by Hui O He'e Nalu. The Hui O He'e Nalu is a nonprofit entity dedicated to the education, coordination, preservation, and support of Hawaiian activities and culture, aiming to promote their progress. Distinct from the sister company Da Hui, which functions as a for-profit business, the Hui O He'e Nalu operates independently. Da Hui originated in Hawaii, founded by a surf gang called the "Black Shorts." These passionate native Hawaiians were dedicated to protecting and preserving Hawaiian surfing, unyieldingly defending it. Their notable presence in the late 1970s, disrupting professional surfing contests on the North Shore by non-Hawaiians, mar...

The pop-up is a surfing skill that will determine the ride's success. But where should surfers place their hands during this critical moment? The take-off is everything. You'll either make it or lose a good wave. Transitioning from a prone position to standing on the surfboard requires a fast and efficient body movement that involves the whole body. The coordinated and nearly instinctive push should be performed precisely when the board enters the wave. Are you a surfer who constantly analyzes their pop-up technique , wondering if there's room for improvement? If so, we have relevant information for beginners, intermediate, and advanced surfers. The following tips will help you improve your take-off performance and gain precious fractions of a second. There are a few methods for positioning your hands during the pop-up. But are they interchangeable? Is it any better than the other? Let's get a thorough understanding of the ideal hand placement for a successful ...

US Olympian and beloved swimming coach Richard Thornton passed away at the age of 65. The news of his untimely death, which occurred at The Hook in Santa Cruz, California, left the swimming community in disbelief. Thornton's brother, Marc Thornton, recounted the heart-wrenching moment of his brother's passing, stating, "He was following his buddy down the steps." "His buddy jumped in the water and looked up for Richard. Richard was just standing there at peace, not clutching his heart or anything, and he just kind of collapsed into the water." Despite the sudden loss, Marc told ABC 7 that Richard passed away "doing what he loved." "He could be in a hospital for six months with an oxygen tube, losing weight and all that. What a way to go for someone who loved the beach and being in the water." Richard Thornton was more than just an Olympian; he was a fixture in the world of California swimming for nearly four decades. Born in 1959,...

A professional surfer and mechanical engineer from Oceanside, California, created a 3D-printed neon orange PETG filament-based surfboard featuring 23 small pieces. Tanner Waite merged his two passions - surfing and engineering - and shaped his homemade twin-fin board using a 3D printer. 3D-printed surfboards are not new. We've seen them built with several types of material, including recycled plastics and eco-friendly components like algae. However, Waite is probably one of the first to develop a Lego-inspired surfboard concept made from 23 small parts connected by dozens of triangle-shaped dowels. The number of parts used to create the puzzle board was not a choice. Instead, it was a limitation. Waite's 3D printer bed could not handle larger pieces. The surfboard is a clone of one of Tanner's favorite models by Chemistry Surfboards, the Cassette Deck. It took four months of work and two weeks of non-spot printing all pieces. The surfer engineer started to build thi...

Exploring and testing our limits is part of human nature. We're always doing it in our daily lives, but also when challenged by the power of the ocean. If there's one sport with a nearly endless variety of challenges, that is surfing. And there is nothing quite getting uncomfortable in the ocean. From the day you get a surfboard to the water for the first time to the moment you paddle for the 100-foot wave, there's an almost infinite list of missions you're confronted with. The fear of deep water , also known as thalassophobia, where surfing usually takes place, is actually one of the first tests some people need to overcome. Although it might sound absurd to many experienced surfers, being comfortable in the ocean is not something we are all born with. So, on our journey to becoming accomplished wave riders, there are several steps we need to consolidate to build a solid structure of confidence and trust in our skills and survival instinct. Confidence is a very...