Those of you who are actively watching the surf championship and are keenly interested in this sport, probably already know the names that we will talk about in today's article. Teresa Bonvalot, Frederico Morais and Vasco Ribeiro - these three names are currently the greatest Portuguese personalities in the world of surfing, at a global level. Interestingly, they have one thing in common - they all come from Cascais, and from an early age they honed their surfing talent at Cascais' local beaches, including Guincho Beach and Praia da Poça. It is there that you can still regularly meet them training before important sports events. It is also on the waves there that many beginner surfers train, including students of surf schools and participants of different surf camps in Portugal, including Papaya Surf Camps.
Teresa Bonvalot
Teresa Bonvalot (October 7, 1999) is a Portuguese professional surfer. Teresa Bonvalot grew up in Cascais, not far from the Portuguese capital. Initially a bodyboarder, she switched to surfing at the age of nine and was quickly recognized as an exceptional talent. She started competing in the 2012 Portuguese Championship, gaining more success. "I want to be the girly version of Kelly Slater," she kept saying. In 2016, she became the first Portuguese surfer to win the WSL title in Junior Europe before claiming a credible 5th place at the Junior World Championships. Her hard work led her to the ISA 2021 Games, where she secured an Olympic seat for the Tokyo Games.
Frederico Morais
Frederico Morais (January 3, 1992), also known as Kikas, is a Portuguese professional surfer who has been competing in the World Tour category of the Men's World Surfing League since 2017. Morais also grew up in Cascais, near Lisbon. After a brilliant junior career, he jumped into the Championship Tour 2017. In his rookie season, he made a big impression, finishing 5th at Bells Beach and 2nd at Jeffreys Bay, which placed him in 14th place in the Jeep Leaderboard ranking. However, after relegating CT in 2018, Morais rebounded immediately, winning two QS tournaments at home in Portugal, en route to winning QS 2019. His hard work and unmistakable talent secured him a spot at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics.
Vasco Ribeiro
Vasco Ribeiro (November 22, 1994) is a Portuguese professional surfer. He is currently participating in the WSL Men's Qualifying Circuit, better known as QS, which allows 10 surfers each year to qualify for the main event, Championship Tour. In 2014, Vasco won the 2014 World Junior Surf Championships, becoming the first Portuguese World Junior Surf Champion. He won the Liga MEO Surf, the Portuguese national championship, for a five time record, winning it in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2017 and 2021. Estoril Praia represents at the club level. It was in Estoril, and more precisely on Praia da Poça, that he developed his surfing skills.