Why Rolling The Dice For Waves Is Never A Bad Idea

Story by The Inertia.

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."