Nazaré's big waves

How it all began

The ocean has always been a part of his life. When João was a child, he would spend the summer at his grandmother's house at Praia Grande, Sintra. Here grew his passion for the ocean and the drive to conquer his fears. "I developed a routine of trying to swim beyond the point where  the waves broke, overcoming my fear of going out into the water and pushing through the power of the waves.”

He started bodyboarding at the age of  seven with a group of friends, which included the future European and world bodyboarding champion, Gonçalo Faria.

The summer of 1989 marked a turning point in João's life and career. At age 12,  he bought his first surfboard – a birthday  present – at his uncle Pedro Martins Simões’s store.  As João began to explore surfing, he met one of his mentors, Bruce Hopping, head of an American surfing team who was in Portugal through  an exchange programme. "Bruce gave me a lot of support and helpful tips. He taught me how important it is to persevere  and never give up when you fall or come up against an obstacle. Failing, taking a fall, that's all part of the human learning process.” This personal and professional relationship would last for years.

Big-wave surfing

Nazaré beach made world headlines when  Garrett McNamara achieved a Guinness world record. In November 2011, he surfed a 78ft. (23.8m) wave – that's as tall as a six-storey building!

Before Nazaré rose to worldwide fame, Praia Grande – with its exposure to strong  Atlantic waves – had already proved  a popular destination for surfers. Praia Grande is known for its challenging ocean strength. "Even in summer, the sea would get angry and we had to adapt and face the waves. This helped to put us at ease with big waves, handle their churns and rolls, control our breathing and, naturally, overcome our fears. 

We could then decide whether we really wanted to persevere in this sport.”

It was at the famous Pipeline beach in Hawaii that João surfed his first big wave. "I have a vivid recollection of that day. I was with Gonçalo Faria and unlike everybody else, he wanted to go in the water. ‘The ocean's perfect, we have to go in!’ At that moment I realized I had to overcome my fears and take a chance.”

Preparation

Although they’re portrayed as adrenaline junkies, big-wave surfers calculate risk.

Preparation is a critical success factor and it takes time. "It takes a surfer at least 15 years to acquire the skills and poise to compete in the big-wave circuit. Learning never stops. You gradually expose yourself to the ocean's demands and its ruthlessness.”

In addition to ocean training, surfers need to work out at the gym, focusing on cardio and muscle-building, to minimise the risk of injury.

"Apnoea training helps you cope with difficult situations.” Learning how to deal with oxygen deprivation, "shutting all systems down”, is crucial for a surfer trying to survive the ocean’s merciless  power. In truth, something as simple as breathing needs work. "I practice yoga because it’s important to know how to breathe. It’s about being aware of, and in control of your breath, and increasing your lung capacity. Meditation helps in this process and helps keep your stress  levels under control.”

A mental workout educates your brain so you can make counterintuitive decisions under duress. When you face the awesome power of a wave, you must  remain calm and fight survival instincts which would lead you to panic and breathe in too much oxygen. "You can drown if you panic.” But that's not all.  Going in the ocean under adverse conditions is a leap of faith. You accept risk, relying on your preparation and ability to read the water.

João also practices Muay Thai (Thai boxing) with master Nuno Neves. "It helps me keep that competitive edge.” Because it’s a martial art, it helps the cardiovascular  system and stimulates aggression within  controlled parameters.

"Take risks but choose them wisely”

"A surfer is a bit of a gambler. You take chances without fear of failure, although you do consider safety.”

After the death of big-wave surfer Sion Milosky in 2011, Danilo Couto and Kohl Christensen gathered a group of friends together to discuss the worrying lack of risk management in the sport. This was the start of the Big Wave Risk Assessment Group (www.bwrag.com). Its goal is to increase safety in big-wave surfing, sharing knowledge on first-aid methods, means of rescue, safety protocols, equipment and technology.

"These concerns are taken very seriously. Only recently I joined the Big Wave Risk Assessment Group in Hawaii and invited them to put a workshop together in the Azores, at Ribeira Grande,  with Marco Medeiros, a local surfer and firefighter, who has been in the EDP Mar Sem Fim (Endless Ocean) expeditions.1”

A way of life

"Maybe this sounds like a cliché, but I see surfing as a way of life. It's taught me to live life to the full, overcome my fears and limitations but also to respect nature. I’m currently working on a documentary Way of Life2 which reflects my experience.”

Although not a very financially-rewarding project, João’s desire to share his knowledge and experience drove him to create the Surf Academia at Praia Grande, Sintra, in 2000. You can almost say he followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, both university  professors. "It is so gratifying to see the difference you can make to your students. After 18 years and lots of ups and downs, it is still one of my life's passions. You can teach a lot using the ocean as your tool.”

In an attempt to promote his Method 7 technique, developed at his surfing academy, João wrote the book How to  Be a Surfer.

He was recently invited to give a speech at the new campus of the Nova School of Business & Economics in Carcavelos, by the sea. "I had an opportunity to discuss the projects I’m involved in and work with some of the university's researchers to learn how to safeguard nature reserves and help attract more support. Fortunately, there are a few organisations and companies, like MDS, that share my values. It would be impossible to go on this adventure without them.”

When we ask João to give advice to anyone looking to follow in his footsteps, he says, "Don't give up or be afraid to fall. Be patient. It's a long trek.” These were some of the words of wisdom from his mentors: Bruce Hopping, Álvaro Pereira, his first influence, José Seabra, team manager and training buddy, and Mark Massara, surfer and well-known lawyer with an environmental law practice.

João defines big-wave surfing as a "Sport of self-discovery. In Mavericks, I had a bad fall, but I remember the satisfaction I felt that I’d powered through a difficult situation. I was scared but I managed to maintain self-control. I realised big-wave surfing was my world. Injuries are opportunities to reflect on what you're doing and how to improve your preparation. When you make a good recovery, you come back even stronger.”

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MDS is surfer João de Macedo's insurance partner and main sponsor. This partnership stems from shared values  with the athlete, as Ricardo Pinto dos Santos, MDS CEO, confirms:
"This partnership with João reflects our  business principles – to be competitive  and achieve excellence in everything  we do. It is all the more special because of our shared belief in the need for risk management, which entails knowledge, preparation and hard work.”

Watch the video:

1. A project focused on the discovery of big-wave surfing, self-awareness and a passion for the ocean and surf culture. Covering unconquered oceans, it reveals a new frontier for big-wave surfing in Portugal.

2. A short film from Portuguese director, Blaze Runner, on João de Macedo. Filmed over six months, it covers the best-known, fundamental basics of big-wave surfing. Available at www.vimeo.com/247792599