Aspettando il rientro di Nicolas Akgazciyan dopo il suo infortunio durante una session di tow in, ecco il report di un suo recente viaggio in Portogallo prima di passare a Point-7 (nell’articolo infatti usa ancora Gun Sails).

We are in the middle of the july and the Nortada, the typical Portugese north summer wind, blow along the cost. Since a long time, i tell Nico Akgazciyan and Marco Julio that they have to come in Portugal for visiting me, cause of the pretty good conditions for sailing, and the beautifull stuff they are here to see. They finally decide to come this year and told me: « Ok why not ! Let’s go to Guincho !»

Nico spok shove it moledo

Ok guys, don’t forget warm clothes cause that wind is cold and the water also. The beach of Guincho, not so far from Lisbon, is really crowded in the summer and already known by all the windsurfers. Then i decide to make the meating point at the Porto airport, in north Portugal. Let’s go to discover the two principals spot in north Portugal wich are not so famous but could offer really great conditions for all the level.

Thursday 14 morning, Nico arrive from Barcelona by plane and Marco by van from Tarifa. They look hungry for sailing, but they were a bit skepticals cause of the forcast. Windguru indicate between 12 and 14 knots north wind. Anyway, let’s go guys, you will see what is 14 knots here in Portugal ! We are now going to Moledo do Minho, a beach situate at about 90 km in the north of Porto.

Marco goiter Viana

Moledo is a long sandy beach touching the exit of the river « Minho » wich separate north Portugal and Spain (Galicia). If you look at your right, in the other side of the river, you can see a mountain which will give a cap effect. If you look face to you, you can appreciate a really little island with a fort on the middle giving a nice background.

Nico & Marco walking Moledo

Over Moledo view

It’s about 10h30 in the morning and there is about 8-10 knots, the beach is crowded with lot of pretty beautiful flowers on the beach, but you should stay calm boys, they are difficult to gather ! I’m not afraid of that conditions. It’s typically here, the wind blow up in the afternoon and that’s why people only go to the beach in the morning.

Nico kono Moledo

The nortada is a north cold wind blowing away from the portugese cost and making the water really cold (16°c). A thermic wind wich begin at about 11h in the morning will force the Nortada to come on the cost. That’s simple ! If you see a north wind on the forcast and you have under 30% clouds cover, you can be pretty sure to have wind.

Marche sur rail Moledo

Anyway, we will be back in 4 hours and that’s not to much cause Nico just anounce me that he don’t have any fins, but just two piece of plastic. Don’t ask me why ! But we have now to tranform this two pieces of plastic into regular fins. By the way, we are going 5 km south to a little fishermen town called Vila Praia de Ancora. There we meet Pedro, the boss of a nice surfshop, who called a friend working in a building site who’ve go the machine we need to build Nico’s fins. We’ve got now a sympathic guy called Jorge, who never see a windsurf before, shaping for us two fins. We will named them « caralho fins ».

Jorge shape fins

We’ve got now time for lunch before riding and there is nothing better than having a pic-nic in a pretty place. At about 6 km east from where we are, is a place called « cascadas do Pincho », that mean waterfall of Pincho. This place is totally savage and was unknown before. It begin to be a little bit more famous. Maybe there are now on some guide book. Anyway, if you go there in the morning you will be alone, cause it’s not so easy to find and the acces is a bit difficult.

Marco et Nico dans Porto

Back to moledo at 14h30, the wind is blowing at about 25 knots, side-side on. Nico and marco rig 4.5. They are few people riding here, most of them are galician’s guys, and they define the spot as a skatepark. Cause they are to different waves on the spot. Somes on the left with middle tide, and some on the righ with low tide. This spot is particulary good for jumping cause of the space you can have between waves. In summer, the swell is generally wind swell, with short period. We are in a begining of a Nortada’s cycle, then the wave are pretty small. We decide then to go on the extrem right of the spot to stay away from the other sailors and appriciate the background. Marco is more a wave rider but anyway, he land the basics moves like spock and other grubby. With Nico that’s an another story, he land a lot of various moves that it will be to long to make an inventory.

Marco spock river Viana

At the end of the day, some waves are breaking, but to far away to have some nice picture, Nico was the last one on the water and get out with a big smyle.

20h30 just a fast cold shower on the beach for our two fast travellers and let’s go back to Porto to take part of the music festival « Marés Vivas » which is directly near the river. A cool begining with the famous Brasilian group « Natiruts » and then the crowd on fire with « Manu Chao ».

Nico portuges cock

Medieval drink

Azulejos typique

After a short night, and fast visit of Porto, we have to go back to the north. The swell have to be better today after one night of Nortada. And indeed, the waves are there but it’s already late and i feel that the wind will not go up really strong. Then i decide to go 20km south.We arrive in Viana do Castelo.

Flaka Nico no hands river Viana

Viana is a small city with a commercial port. The spot is in the other side of the river, and it’s called « Cabedelo ». This spot take less swell than Moledo but the wind is side-off and could be two force stronger cause that’s more advance in the ocean. There is also a cap effect with an another little mountain. You have two beach separate by a sea wall. One is really small, about 150m, but give acces to the end of the river. Normally, spanish family are freeriding there, that’s really flat and it will be good for freestyling. In the other side of the sea wall, a 3 km beach. The 400 m north part, is normally for kite-surfing, but in reallity it doesn’t matter. We are not very lucky, cause the swell is small, but this wave is so perfect that it’s always possible to surf , in the left at high tide and in the right at low tide.

Forward Nico Viana

We put the cars on a parking in the south of the spot just before the camping. At this place you can’t feel the wind and you have to walk a little bit to see the ocean. Then after a quick look they decide to rig the same sail than yesterday. But i convince them to put 4m cause the the sky is blue and the prevision said 16 knots. And that was not a bad idea. Arriving on the beach the wind is really strong and all the flowers gone. I think this wave was made for goyter. Marco and Nico after 5mn comfim my theory. The both make the show mixing surfing, jumping and freestyling all day long.

Marco bottom Viana

Nico roller Viana

After a full afternoon windsurfing, we have to make a big diner. Lucky we are, 2km north of Moledo, there is a pretty typical portuguese city called Caminha. And during one week there is a medieval party with outside’s restaurant cooking fat pigs direct on the fire. I don’t remember the name of what we eat but it was perfect. Perfect enought to go in the bar’s street where they are doing really good caipirinha and also strange drink on fire for closing the day. Let’s go to sleep on the top of that place, directly in the nature to wake up with a crazy point ofview of moledo, the river « Minho » and Galicia.

Spok shove it river Viana

That’s the last day of this short trip, the swell really don’t want us. The swell is to north and is blocked by spain. Anyway let’s have a freestyle session in the little beach of Viana, the one in the exit of the river.

4,5 sails, in the middle of the spanish family freeriding. Evrybody stop sailing, people on the beach come near me on the little sea wall where i’m placed to shoot. Evrybody applause for each move, that’s the distraction of the day. People take position like for a show. Lot of guys come to talk to us, ask for the boards, the sails, etc…

Nico shaka river Viana

Nico pause break Viana

But we have to go, Marco have to go driving a long road to go back to Bretagne after one year studying near Tarifa. And Nico have to go for the PWA contest in Fuerteventura. Both want to come back, and i’m pretty sure to see them soon.

Nico Back over Marco Viana

The week after my friends go to other destinations, it will be there a big real nortada, blowing night and day. The guys used 4.0 sails in Moledo with logo high wind waves. But luck is a big part of windsurfing, and that give more interest to that sport.

Marco come back september

Now let’s have a look at the forcast and come on to ride north Portugal. The strong wind period is july and august. But for the people than can have a fast trip, may and september can offer you crazy sessions with 3m waves side-off in a non crowded place. And if you are unlucky with the wind, don’t worry, just have a look to the forecast in Galicia. But that’s an another story.

THE END

Nico & Marco pincho waterfall

Nico Pincho waterfall