Watch: Miguel Blanco Goes All In On A Rumour

On any given day, Miguel Blanco can step outside his house in Ericeira and walk to half a dozen waves people board international flights to film video parts on.

The decision to trade that convenience for airports, long-haul flights, ferries, and dusty rides in the back of pickups to still not be quite within walking distance to a wave he’s been keeping his sights on is romantic in theory, but a little illogical in practice.

Orienta is a Portuguese word that loosely translates to getting your shit together, or finding your way. For Miguel, this trip delivered the latter.

“We just went looking for a wave that we thought could turn on without knowing when or where too well,” he told Stab.

Ten days on location muddled their sense of time. “We were getting so blown out by sand and dust,” he said, “but we finally scored on the last few days of the trip.”

With more time spent waiting than surfing, Miguel and cinematographer Timmy Toes filled the downtime with a loose fictional script that also became a way of easing into the rhythm of the place, getting to know its people, and their culture.

“We ended up being at the right place at the right time,” he said of the long right point rifling down an empty stretch of sand for hundreds of meters. “I couldn’t believe my eyes. Crystal clear water, bright yellow sand, perfect!”

“I was absolutely tripping with the waves in front of me and not seeing a single soul around. It was one of the most rewarding moments of my winter.”

The wave turned out to be much trickier to surf than it appears. “Some were too square, some closed out, but then there were gems.”

At a time when even the most remote corners of the surfing map are claimed, advertised, and packaged for convenience, this trip triggered a desire in Miguel to take the hard road and relive the addictive experience more often. 

“Nowadays, surfing waves like these with no one around or just a few friends is the ultimate dream,” he said. “Something that you’ll carry with you for the rest of your life.”

Decide what to do with that.