I cannot talk about legends without mentioning the one I consider the local legend of windsurfing: Luis Caliço. Back in 1998, I was able to attend the Portuguese Windsurf Wave championships on a day when the spot showed its true face: 40 to 50 knots of wind and waves that seemed to me enormous. The final was between Luis P62 and Paulo Silva P9, during which Luis threw an enormous double front loop, “Teriitehau Style!” That day, after spending many hours on the beach, I asked my father to help me prepare my equipment to go sail. He looked at me strangely and then told me it was too dangerous. I was 12 years old and insisted, using provocation as children do, “We’ve drove this whole way and now that it is really windy you do not want to let me sail?” It worked out, I made 4 or 5 back-and-forth runs through the storm with my Zeta 2.9 before returning to the shore, happy to have survived and proud like never before.
A few years later Luis started kitesurfing but never really quit windsurfing, as he even participated in the PWAs of the 2000s. Another true “addict”, who has now fallen back in with his first love, windsurfing, and with whom we share several sessions in very good Guincho over the following days, as well as a few after-session beers and some old stories.