For one reason or another, most surfers are infatuated with the idea of the search. No matter how good the waves are at home, there’s always somewhere else — not somewhere with better waves, necessarily, although that’s part of it — but somewhere different. Somewhere that takes some doing to get to. Somewhere that’s got some mystery, somewhere with a taste of the unknown. Such is the case with Portugal’s Miguel Blanco. Born and raised in one of the most wonderful countries in the world, Blanco has always had a keen interest in finding a new spot.
This past winter, he started searching for different destinations around the Atlantic — places that, judging by the maps, at least ought to have waves. One place in particular stood out: a little island off the coast of Portugal… The Island Next Door. And as it turns out, Blanco was right. “I’ve always wanted to have a look on that island,” he said. “It was right there and I knew it must have some juice. Stoked to have finally scored it.”
