Paulo Martins Founder and Bossman at Despomar, Ericeira, Portugal.
I love how Paulo, Carl and I met, through surfing, unfortunately sometimes these days we get so busy we tend to forget the journey surfing has blessed us with.
Paulo plays a huge part in the development of junior surfing and the industry in Portugal, great surfers, great waves, warm people and welcoming culture.
If you are passing through the amazing surf town of Ericeira, stop into Paulo’s new store, Shop 58, it really is hall of fame, please say gidday from us.
I’m sitting here in Mexico writing this with son Dane on a surf trip, funnily enough we are staying with great mate Roland from the Rockfood who Paulo mentions.
All these years later and we all still hang together and froth on going surfing like groms.
From Paulo
It’s the year of 1989. We are in September and the 1st international surfing event will happen the next week in Ericeira.
I saw Reid, for the 1st time paddling back from the inside at “Backdoor” when I see him dropping in and setting his line into one of the best barrels I ever saw at that spot.
Backdoor has it’s days, but I remember that week as one of the best ever. The combination of swell direction and the right sand on the reef, made magic. Surfed that spot together all week and become good friends.
I was starting to rep for Billabong, thru what would later be my company Despomar. Reid was surfing for Billabong professionally.
There were some coincidences, during that 1 st contest, that we all would remember forever. Reid did one his best results reaching the quarters, if I remember well!? Carl Weiser, partner at Sunday-collab and Reid’s best mate was an ASP judge at the event and I was a young local surfer, making a few bucks working for the contest organization…
A couple years later we all meet again at the beginning of Billabong Europe in Hossegor. We developed a much deeper friendship, working together for almost 20 years, thru the history of Billabong and the European surf industry.
Did many trips together, but the one that stands out was our first boat trip to the Mentawais in 2000 with a bunch of clever people that were important to the surf business, people related to Billabong, Globe, Electric and the Iconic Rock Food.
After many years Reid as Billabong Brand Manager and Carl as head of Xcel, they left and created Sunday-Collab. The first and best surf related coffee brand.
Sunday-Collab is the coffee brand of many surf shops and industry offices all over the world.
What a ride…