After ten years in which Garrett McNamara surfed the biggest wave in the world at Praia do Norte, Nazaré went from a fishing village to one of the most sought after spots for its giant waves.

Now that the Mercedes-EQ Lounge in Nazaré has become known, this being a completely sustainable space that is not only intended for surfers but also for the community, a series of 3 episodes about the Lounge has been created that tell the story of the surfer who placed Praia do Norte at the mouths of the world, Garratt McNamara, and Nazaré.

The first episode of the series, released on May 1, 2021, describes the past 10 years, and what the trip that McNamara and Mercedes went through around sustainability.

In the film Garrett says that when he arrived in Nazaré he encountered the biggest waves he had ever seen in his life and which, at the time, no one dared to enter, in Praia do Norte. The wave was associated with a huge negative charge. Defying local myths, on 11 November 2011 the world record was broken, changing big wave surfing forever.

“When we broke the world record, the media started showing the whole world, from the lighthouse, the wave and Portugal. Now it was a symbol of hope. And it wasn’t just in Nazaré. The whole of Portugal was proud of the wave”, comments Garrett McNamara. Since then, Nazaré has been transformed. If until then it was a spectacular place in the summer, but where almost no one went in the winter, since 2011 it has become a land that has at least 72 countries represented every day, recalls Garrett stressing that “the transformation is incredible”.

Inviting assistance to be part of this trip, the film recalls that a special, sustainable, cork and Portuguese board would eventually be developed. It was the first step to bring stakeholders together on a path to a better world.

If you want to see this incredible waves, you can book a tour with us, it will be a trip to remember.