The Portuguese big rider, owner of a surf school, shares the association's vision and calls for the need for greater union between all operators, so that all the goals outlined by AESDP can be met.
João de Macedo was not indifferent to the work that has been developed by AESDP with a view to a more responsible and sustainable management of Portuguese beaches and decided to embrace this project, considering that it can make an important contribution to achieving the goals. “I have been talking to João Diogo (President of AESDP) and have followed the path of the Association, because I also have a surf school (Surf Academia) which is one of the oldest in permanent operation, since 2000. I think this movement came at the right time to make some adaptations to the current context. I'm very excited about this new adventure and, from what I've seen, I'm confident that this team will be able to make a great contribution to all schools”, says the big rider. The new ambassador, however, leaves an appeal: “There has to be greater union between all schools and this association is the ideal platform for that. With the increase in these operators, there will certainly continue to be constant changes to the regulation and management of beaches, and it is essential that everyone is taken into account in order to protect their interests.”
João Diogo Pinto dos Santos, President of AESDP and one of the pioneers in the world of surf schools in Portugal, says he is “very satisfied with the enthusiasm of João de Macedo. The process of implementation and recognition of the Association has not been easy, and seeing someone who has contributed so much to national surfing and who knows this reality like few others believe in our mission in such a way, gives us strength and shows us that we are in the right way". The President also states that “it is very important to have personalities like João, but in itself it is not enough. We are increasingly aware of the importance of the role that the Association can play and, therefore, we are preparing a series of actions and partnerships that will allow us to do a more effective work, so there will be more news by the end of the year.”
It should be noted that this relationship was established at Surf Out Portugal, where João de Macedo was part of a Surf Talks panel on “The world attentive to waves in Portugal”, together with Miguel Pedreira (journalist), Lídia Monteiro (Turismo de Portugal), Rui Costa (Perfect Chapter) and António José Correia (former Mayor of Peniche). About the fact that the event was a platform for the establishment of new partnerships and professional relationships, Patrick Stilwell, organizer of the event, says that “it is a great pride to see this type of partnership being developed during Surf Out, because it is one of the main objectives of the event and contributes a lot to surfing in general”. Salvador Stilwell, Patrick's brother and co-organizer of the event, points out that “it was clear during the Surf Out that there is a general alignment of ideas from different agents in the surfing sector, and to see these ideas transformed into concrete measures and a strengthening relationships between players is very rewarding and gives us motivation to start thinking about a second edition.”