Vitor Oliveira

The Canary Islands are well-known for their quality waves and world-class surf fueled by a 360-degree window of Atlantic Ocean swells. The Spanish archipelago is actually the go-to destination for all sorts of water sports enthusiasts. If Fuerteventura is perfect for windsurfers and kiteboarders, El Frontón is the ultimate bodyboarding slab, and El Quemao is the Canarian Pipeline. The Canary tourism board promotes their waves abroad, runs international competitive events, and invites foreigners to try their pristine waves. However, there's always the flip side to it. Local surfers have been complaining about the excess of surf tourism in the Canarian waters. And then, at some point, surf localism incidents pop up. Punch and Rocks At Punta Blanca, in Alcalá, Tenerife, things escalated. A Venezuelan surfer was hit in the face while surfing the break by a local known as Tintin. Cristian Mederos was in the water when Tintin made sure he was not welcome at Punta Blanca. Th...

Surfers are incredibly territorial and protective of their own finite resources. They will chase, hunt, and get as many waves for themselves as they can. The stereotype of the laid-back, chill surfer so many times portrayed by the media and Hollywood is nothing but a facade and a cover-up for a complex personality. Unlike skaters, who celebrate each other's achievements and support their opponents in competition to land an exquisite trick, surfers develop an inner greediness that has never actually surfaced in their out-of-the-water lives. One of surfing's unwritten rules is that you don't invite people to surf your break or waves. You don't call people to join you on a perfect day. You keep it to yourself. The concept of a secret spot means exactly that. In many places, you're even warned not to bring outside friends to the peak you're exploring for the first time as a haole. Crowded waves are synonymous with tension, disrespect, aggressive behaviors, ...

The University of Amsterdam (UvA) and Surf Pill are launching a joint research project to investigate whether a floating surf installation with integrated water purification can improve water quality in Amsterdam's inner waterways. Once the permitting process has been completed, the first prototype will be built in Amsterdam-Noord. During the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, it became visible how vulnerable urban waters can be. Major investments were needed to make the Seine suitable for swimming, but after heavy rainfall, bacterial levels again rose to unsafe levels. The attention gave a boost to the Swimmable Cities movement, which by mid-2025 brought together over 150 organizations from more than 80 cities in 30 countries, all working to restore urban waterways. In early November, London also joined, alongside cities such as Paris, Budapest, and Rotterdam. Amsterdam faces similar challenges. In particular, shallow, stagnant areas behind bridges and near quaysides can show rapid...

My name is Sarah-Jane Rossetti. I am a multi-award-winning screenwriter, novelist, educator, and painter of impressionistic acrylics. They sang me "When I'm Sixty-Four" on my last birthday, and I live in Australia. In winter, I hang out in a little rural village called Uki in the Northern Rivers of New South Wales - that's a 45-minute drive inland from the surfing town of Byron Bay on the east coast. In summer, I'm a city gal, living in Perth, Western Australia, just three hours' drive north of the famous Margaret River surf break. Here's the unusual story of how, despite having never ridden a wave, my personal life and professional career crossed paths with surfing. How I Started Screenwriting Right out of school, I wanted to be a war correspondent (adrenal junkie), but that never happened, as the folks split up, leaving no money for a computer, car, or university, so I set about making some money importing and wholesaling costume jewelry, which di...

The top 10 finalists for Australian Surf Photo of the Year 2025 have been announced. The annual Surf Photo of the Year initiative celebrates a single, compelling image that captures the essence of the sport. The rules are simple. The photo can be taken anywhere around the world by an Australian photographer in 2025, with a maximum of three submissions per lensperson. The 2025 roster features shots from seasoned professionals and emerging surf photographers, each with a unique approach to translating the ocean's energy and emotion into a single frame. The narrowed-down collection showcases incredible surf backdrops, monster heavy waves, and the beauty and power of the ocean through both land and water-based imagery. All entries are judged by a panel from Surfing Australia, Tracks Magazine, and independent judges. The Top 10 photos will be displayed at the Australian Surfing Awards on December 6 at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre, culminating in the announceme...

A life-sized bronze sculpture honouring the extraordinary legacy of Waverley-born trailblazer and surfing champion Pauline Menczer has been unveiled at South Bondi Beach. Pauline took out the ASP Women's World Tour in 1993, all without the backing of a sponsor, becoming the first - and only - world champ to come from Bondi. In 2018, she was inducted into the Australian Surfing Hall of Fame. Last year, Waverley Council approved the gift of a statue immortalizing Pauline's incredible career and immeasurable contribution to both surfing and women's sports, in a spot overlooking the very place she first took to the water as a child. "As well as being a talented athlete, Pauline Menczer has been a trailblazer and tireless advocate for equality in sport, paving the way for so many to follow in her footsteps," Waverley Mayor Will Nemesh said. "Pauline's impact and everything she was as a champion remains as relevant as ever, and Waverley Council is honored...

There is only one way surfers can picture the ocean as an elemental and pure playground of freedom, to which they can escape. But as we paddle out into the lineup, we may be facing a rather different scenario: one not of water and tube-spitting spray, but of microplastics , invisible toxins, and persistent pollutants. New research underscores a dangerous paradox: when environmental monitoring fails, risks can go unseen . The article "No data, no risk? How the monitoring of chemicals in the environment shapes the perception of risks" warns us that inadequate surveillance leads to a false sense of safety. Surfers are uniquely positioned within this crisis. We swallow the sea, breathe the spray, and absorb what the water carries. The collision between extreme human exposure and under-monitored pollution defines what may be the biggest threat to surfers' health. And that is an invisible tsunami. How Much Ocean Water Do Surfers Swallow? Few surfers pause to consider ...

U.S. Ski & Snowboard has withdrawn its bid to become the national governing body (NGB) for the sport of surfing in the United States. The soap opera is over. The process to take over American surfing initiated by the winter sports organization will not reach the final stage. In early 2025, Sophie Goldschmidt, at the time president and CEO of U.S. Ski & Snowboard, applied to govern surfing in the USA. She had previously served as CEO of the World Surf League (WSL). The goal was to convince the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) that the sport of riding waves and, surprisingly, skateboarding, should be under the winter sports umbrella. Goldschmidt explored USA Surfing's financial and governance issues, as uncovered in a 2021 audit required to secure NGB certification. However, after all the support received by professional surfers and Fernando Aguerre , president of the International Surfing Association (ISA), U.S. Ski & Snowboard lost its momentum. A B...

If you own one or more surfboards, you probably know how it feels. Why are surfers so emotionally attached to surfboards? Why can't we let go of old boards? There is a well-studied and documented mental health condition called hoarding. Hoarding is a disorder. It refers to the act of collecting and retaining a large number of items, often more than one reasonably needs, and experiencing difficulty parting with any of them. We hoard for different reasons - sentimental attachment, fear they might need something later, or simply enjoying the act of collecting. It can be a basic household item, Lego collections, or even cars. Although it doesn't always mean something negative, it can develop into a more serious behavioral pattern. Surfers are known for accumulating boards and rarely sell or get rid of them. It doesn't happen to everyone, but most readers will likely relate to it. Dissecting the Feeling From a recreational standpoint, surfing is a very emotional outdoo...

Ocean swells move far faster than the breaking waves we see from the beach. Ever wondered at what speed they travel? Here's a simple method for calculating it. The wave generation process in the open ocean is relatively. You probably know how it all begins. Wind creates waves within a storm zone, also known as fetch. Once the waves escape that windy birthplace, they spread outward like ripples from a stone thrown into a pond. As the growing circle expands , the energy spreads thinner, so the swell slowly loses size. During the first day of travel, energy loss is steep. When the distance from the storm doubles, the energy drops by roughly 15 to 20 percent. After that initial fade, the swell can travel for thousands of miles while still carrying plenty of power. Meteorologists call this process swell decay. This early energy loss is why the biggest waves usually form close to the storm that created them. Travel long enough, though, and the swell becomes cleaner and more orga...

SurferToday is the home of the longest-running online surfer-driven Christmas Gift Guide. Welcome to the 2025 edition, where the spirit of the ocean meets the joy of the festive season. As the cool December winds start to blow, it's the perfect time to think about how to bring a wave of happiness to the surf enthusiasts in your life. The holiday season is a special time for everyone, and for surfers, it's an opportunity to dream about what the New Year will bring. Whether they're braving the winter swells or just dreaming of summer waves, a thoughtful gift can make their season bright. This year, we've scoured the surf world to bring you an array of gifts that will delight any passionate wave rider. From the latest in high-tech surf gadgets to eco-friendly gear, our selection caters to every taste and budget. We understand that surfers are not just athletes but connoisseurs of a unique lifestyle - our gifts reflect this. For the tech-savvy surfer, consider the n...

There are a few similarities between surfing and mining. In both cases, most of the time is spent physically working and searching for the treasure, whether it is waves or valuable minerals. In 2012, the Sports Performance Research Institute New Zealand concluded that surfers spend only 8 percent of their time in each session actually riding waves. Most of the time - 54 percent - they're paddling back to the lineup, repositioning, and paddling for waves. Based on this assumption, researchers from Griffith University in Queensland, in association with Surfing Australia High Performance Program, decided to dissect the quality and efficiency of paddling among elite-level surfers as opposed to what they called sub-elite surfers. Surfers know that a quick, powerful paddle can mean the difference between catching the perfect wave or missing it, and that a faster sprint paddling helps surfers punch into waves earlier and ride them longer. It can also delay fatigue. As the research...