João Macedo, Co-Founder of the Hope Zones Foundation-a 2023 WSL PURE grant recipient-and a key individual behind the creation of the World Surfing Reserves Movement of the Save The Waves Coalition, has announced his retirement from competitive surfing. João has also - connected to his surf activism - demonstrated a lifelong dedication to teaching surfing, through his role as the founder of his surf school Surf Academia João Macedo. João is known for consistently pointing out that learning to surf at his home beach of Praia Grande, Sintra or other waves up and down the Greater Lisbon-area coast, is a way of experiencing the ocean and therefore moving towards a deeper environmental consciousness.
Representing Portugal was always a huge honor and inspiration for João - WSL / Ricardo Bravo
Over an illustrious competitive surfing career, João achieved a Top 5 finish on the Big Wave World Tour in the 2012/13 season, earned podium finishes at the WSL Nazaré Paddle Challenge during the 2016/17 and 2018/19 seasons, and was a finalist for the Biggest Wave Award at the 2022 WSL XXL Big Wave Awards. Throughout these accomplishments, he cultivated a profound connection to the iconic waves of Nazaré and Mavericks. This passion now drives his work with the Hope Zones Foundation, where he channels his expertise to champion ocean conservation through surf ecosystem preservation.
"João has always instilled in us the spirit of high-performance surfing, joy in effort, respect for nature, and attention to litter on the beach!" said Nic Von Rupp, one of Portugal's top international pro surfers and a former student of João's Surf Academia.
In 2023, Hope Zones Foundation received a grant from WSL PURE to advance coastal restoration intitives in Portugal.
In collaboration with Moritz Siedel, and close family members, João founded the Hope Zones Foundation, which focuses on innovative projects such as creating a native kelp regenerative seaweed farm in Nazaré - as a way to keep the mission of a Marine Protected Area (MPAs) in the area alive and consistently moving forward. This Regenerative Seaweed Farming initiative aims to regenerate marine ecosystems while supporting local fishing communities. "João's ability to blend elite-level surfing with environmental activism exemplifies how surfers can create lasting, positive impacts on coastal communities," said John Suhar, VP of Environmental and Social Impact at the World Surf League.
The Hope Zones Foundation (HZF) has significantly advanced its mission with the support of the 2023 WSL PURE grant, which provided critical funding to establish approximately 1km south of the Nazaré fishing harbor a pilot kelp restoration effort as well as strengthen partnerships with local stakeholders. From multiple research and monitoring scuba dives at the reforestation location, to meetings with local fishing associations, to ocean literacy actions with Nazaré's middle and high schools, to supporting more lab work from Instituto Politécnico de Leiria (IPL) and Seaforester, to consolidating local municipality support, this funding enabled a kick-start to impactful conservation work through kelp restoration.
Paddling into the massive waves at Nazaré was a defining moment in how João pushed his limits and redefined what's possible - WSL / Ricardo Bravo
The Nazaré Kelp Reforestation project evolved in 2024, into a Regenerative Seaweed Farm. This progression, catapulted Hope Zones to find new partners and hiring of staff from the Open Climate Solutions - a Swisse non-profit that helped HZF adopt seaweed farming techniques that are aligned with achieving the same goal of increased biodiversity in harmony with the local fishing community. The collaboration with WSL has been a cornerstone of Hope Zone's success, with João highlighting the shared vision that more well-managed MPAs help local communities find real longer-term economic solutions for preserving ocean health while fostering social and cultural resilience within coastal regions. The vision benefits both the environment and the communities reliant on these surf ecosystems.
Francisco Spinola from OceanEvents and WSL Europe and Middle East praised João's dual legacy as a competitor and environmental advocate: "João has been a father figure to big wave surfing in Portugal. After years of competing and pioneering performances in both paddle and tow-in surfing, he's now channeling his experience, education, and connections to make a tangible difference for Nazaré and other specific coastal areas in Portugal's Greater Lisbon-area."
João's deep connection to Nazaré is beautifully captured in this image. - WSL / Ricardo Bravo
Through the Hope Zones Foundation, João is championing efforts to create well-managed Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Nazaré and Sintra. By fostering partnerships between the surfing and fishing communities, initiatives like regenerative kelp reforestation ensure sustainable livelihoods while protecting marine flora and fauna. João's work reflects a growing movement within surfing to safeguard the beauty and vitality of the ocean for future generations, while helping local community livelihoods.
"I'm excited to focus on this new journey and hope my experience and love for surfing will inspire others to get involved," João said. "Each of us can make a difference, and together we must work towards a regenerative and collaborative future. Farming seaweed in Nazaré is exactly that kind of work - done one coastal region at time, but with tremendous scalability and network potential."
To learn more about the Hope Zones Foundation and its Nazaré Regenerative Seaweed Farm initiative, visit hopezones.org.
Hope Zones Foundation Takes Center Stage as João Macedo Steps Away from Competitive Big Wave Surfing
WSL
João Macedo, Co-Founder of the Hope Zones Foundation-a 2023 WSL PURE grant recipient-and a key individual behind the creation of the World Surfing Reserves Movement of the Save The Waves Coalition, has announced his retirement from competitive surfing. João has also - connected to his surf activism - demonstrated a lifelong dedication to teaching surfing, through his role as the founder of his surf school Surf Academia João Macedo. João is known for consistently pointing out that learning to surf at his home beach of Praia Grande, Sintra or other waves up and down the Greater Lisbon-area coast, is a way of experiencing the ocean and therefore moving towards a deeper environmental consciousness.
Over an illustrious competitive surfing career, João achieved a Top 5 finish on the Big Wave World Tour in the 2012/13 season, earned podium finishes at the WSL Nazaré Paddle Challenge during the 2016/17 and 2018/19 seasons, and was a finalist for the Biggest Wave Award at the 2022 WSL XXL Big Wave Awards. Throughout these accomplishments, he cultivated a profound connection to the iconic waves of Nazaré and Mavericks. This passion now drives his work with the Hope Zones Foundation, where he channels his expertise to champion ocean conservation through surf ecosystem preservation.
"João has always instilled in us the spirit of high-performance surfing, joy in effort, respect for nature, and attention to litter on the beach!" said Nic Von Rupp, one of Portugal's top international pro surfers and a former student of João's Surf Academia.
In collaboration with Moritz Siedel, and close family members, João founded the Hope Zones Foundation, which focuses on innovative projects such as creating a native kelp regenerative seaweed farm in Nazaré - as a way to keep the mission of a Marine Protected Area (MPAs) in the area alive and consistently moving forward. This Regenerative Seaweed Farming initiative aims to regenerate marine ecosystems while supporting local fishing communities. "João's ability to blend elite-level surfing with environmental activism exemplifies how surfers can create lasting, positive impacts on coastal communities," said John Suhar, VP of Environmental and Social Impact at the World Surf League.
The Hope Zones Foundation (HZF) has significantly advanced its mission with the support of the 2023 WSL PURE grant, which provided critical funding to establish approximately 1km south of the Nazaré fishing harbor a pilot kelp restoration effort as well as strengthen partnerships with local stakeholders. From multiple research and monitoring scuba dives at the reforestation location, to meetings with local fishing associations, to ocean literacy actions with Nazaré's middle and high schools, to supporting more lab work from Instituto Politécnico de Leiria (IPL) and Seaforester, to consolidating local municipality support, this funding enabled a kick-start to impactful conservation work through kelp restoration.
The Nazaré Kelp Reforestation project evolved in 2024, into a Regenerative Seaweed Farm. This progression, catapulted Hope Zones to find new partners and hiring of staff from the Open Climate Solutions - a Swisse non-profit that helped HZF adopt seaweed farming techniques that are aligned with achieving the same goal of increased biodiversity in harmony with the local fishing community. The collaboration with WSL has been a cornerstone of Hope Zone's success, with João highlighting the shared vision that more well-managed MPAs help local communities find real longer-term economic solutions for preserving ocean health while fostering social and cultural resilience within coastal regions. The vision benefits both the environment and the communities reliant on these surf ecosystems.
Francisco Spinola from OceanEvents and WSL Europe and Middle East praised João's dual legacy as a competitor and environmental advocate: "João has been a father figure to big wave surfing in Portugal. After years of competing and pioneering performances in both paddle and tow-in surfing, he's now channeling his experience, education, and connections to make a tangible difference for Nazaré and other specific coastal areas in Portugal's Greater Lisbon-area."
Through the Hope Zones Foundation, João is championing efforts to create well-managed Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Nazaré and Sintra. By fostering partnerships between the surfing and fishing communities, initiatives like regenerative kelp reforestation ensure sustainable livelihoods while protecting marine flora and fauna. João's work reflects a growing movement within surfing to safeguard the beauty and vitality of the ocean for future generations, while helping local community livelihoods.
"I'm excited to focus on this new journey and hope my experience and love for surfing will inspire others to get involved," João said. "Each of us can make a difference, and together we must work towards a regenerative and collaborative future. Farming seaweed in Nazaré is exactly that kind of work - done one coastal region at time, but with tremendous scalability and network potential."
To learn more about the Hope Zones Foundation and its Nazaré Regenerative Seaweed Farm initiative, visit hopezones.org.
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