Penas Surf School won the first stage of the Matosinhos Surf School Cup 2024, which took place at Cabo do Mundo beach in Matosinhos on Sunday 22nd May.
Defending champions Penas Surf School topped the podium, followed by Surfing Life Club in 2nd place, Onda Pura in 3rd and Fish Surf School in 4th.
The inaugural round of this unique circuit in Portugal gave good indications that it will be a hotly contested event between the eight teams taking part in the competition: Penas Surf School, Fish Surf School, Onda Pura, Salty Wave, Surfing Life Club, Surfitbox, Malibu Escola de Surf and Linha de Onda.
The event featured waves of 0.5 metres to 1 metre and a strong northerly wind, which made for a good day of competition. The event was played in a tag-team format, inspired by the one used in the International Surfing Association's (ISA) traditional Aloha Cup, encouraging team spirit and socialising between the participating surf schools.
One of the novelties of this year's edition, the Xpression Session by Xtreme Surf Design, was won by José Monteiro from Surfitbox by performing the best manoeuvre.
Before the final, there was the Beach Clean-Up by Buondi, a beach clean-up as part of an environmental awareness campaign about the importance of protecting and preserving beaches and oceans. At the end, there was an awards ceremony and a Sunset Party by Cerveja Nortada.
‘Once again the good atmosphere between everyone, the organisation and the teams, has been confirmed. The professionalism of the organisation was remarkable, it has evolved in all aspects compared to previous editions. We thought the convivial moment on the beach with the Nortada beer and the DJ was a good initiative. In my opinion, the changes to the regulations have added value to the championship, as has the Expression Session in this new format. Finally, I think it's important to mention that for us, Penas Surf School, it's a great honour to win this first event of the Matosinhos Surf School Cup 2024. Congratulations to everyone involved,’ said Rui Baptista, head of Penas Surf School.
Afonso Teixeira, Executive Director of the Portuguese Surf School Association, announced that ‘The kick-off was given for another edition of this unique circuit in Portugal. The conditions were very difficult, with a strong northeaster typical of this time of year. Despite this, the schools turned up, as always, with an incredible spirit of sharing, which only reinforced that this event is essentially about promoting unity and lifestyle. What's more, this event helps to promote the whole of Matosinhos, particularly some of the beaches that are less frequented by the community.’
The next stage of the Matosinhos Surf School Cup 2024 will be held on 23 June, with the venue still to be announced.
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