Italo Loves Portugal, And Portugal Loves Italo

There’s no finer city in the world to be a surfer than Lisbon.

Your Editor In Chief’s words, not mine. Within the expanse of its metro area lies Ericeira, the coastal town that saw the country’s last royal family fleeing the Republican Revolution of 1910 en route to Gibraltar’s monarch friendly climates — and the location of arguably the best and most consistent surf in continental Europe.

A stone’s throw away from two of its finest reefs — a left and a right lovingly staring into each other’s insides for eternity — sits 58 Surf, a local-run business responsible for employing a good chunk of Ericeira’s young population, and doubling down as a meeting point for the town’s expanding surf community. A place to update quivers, replace fins and leashes victimized by the jagged coastline, or simply to stock up on wax and avoid becoming the parking lot pest bumming people for their hard-earned paraffin. 

Doors swung open for Stab, and weeks earlier, rumors swirled that Italo Ferreira could show up for SITD’s first ever watch party in the country. Italo’s love affair with Portugal has never been kept under wraps. Sightings of the Potiguar surfer are not uncommon, and his energy in the water, impossible to evade. In turn, he decided to spend his birthday in Bali, maintaining our wave counts at acceptable levels. (Thoughts and prayers to those who recently chose the Indonesian island for their annual leave).

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As the screen lit-up, a notable drum intro set the tone for a different, perhaps spicier version of Stab’s emblematic series. The juxtaposition of the opening percussion and witty Italoisms brought to mind a bastardized version of beat poetry. And did it work! Hoots, oohs, and aahs ensued…

To top off a fun night of booze, food, and tunes, a magenta-dipped Lost Driver 3.0 Stab Limited Edition circa 2022 was raffled. 

Upcoming Stab In The Dark Watch Parties
EP03: May 20
EP04: May 27

58 Surf
Estrada Nacional 247
2655-483 Ericeira
Portugal