Tiago Navega

We had the opportunity of meeting our next rider when we were in Portugal back in April, we were a crew of just 4 guys sharing waves down at "The Wall" in Lisbon.

What a super friendly guy he is with a great style of riding.....

Not content with the awesome waves on offer in Portugal he decided to head on offer to the Azores to ply his trade....

"Hi guys, I’m Tiago Navega I am 32 years old, from Pombal but always felt that I belonged to Praia do Pedrogão. This is where I used to spend the summer holidays with my grandma and where I’ve made lifelong friendships.

At the moment I’m living on Terceira Island, in the Azores.

I was 6 when I got my first foam board and started to boog with Diogo “Pulga” Pombeiro, João “Mini” Martins, André “Calhau” Alexandre, Rui “Zé Bode” Violante, André Laranjeira, Daniel Valério and all the crew that lived there. I got my first wetsuit at 16, before that we surfed with board shorts, a rashie and diving fins.

At that time in Portugal’s Central Coast bodyboarding was growing so fast that was kind of a popular sport, especially in the summer. There were just a few guys surfing compared to bodyboarding.

We all grew up watching those No Friends & Tension movies starring Spencer Skipper, Ryan Hardy, Ross McBride, Paul Roach, Mitch Rawlins, Guilherme Tamega, Sean Virtue, Damian King, etc.

Portuguese chargers were rising too like Luis “Porkito” Pereira, Faustino, Paulinho, Estrelinha, Hugo Pinheiro, Laranja and they ripped.

I remember I went to a party during the Praia Grande World Tour Comp in Sintra and realised that I was buying and getting booze with our childhood heroes, needless to say that we ended up completely wasted.

My favourite wave is Santa Catarina, here at Ilha Terceira where I live and surf when it’s pumping with my new surf mates, the locals Samuel Barcelos, Miguel “Biscoito” Mendonça, Daniel Maiato, Paulinho, Filipe Barata and José Lucio and of course Pedrógão beach break that can be the most perfect wave if you get a good sandbar, good-sized west swell and offshore winds. Nothing beats a sesh with your childhood mates in a place where we shared endless stories.

I gotta say that I loved the waves in Sumatra, but for now the queen is Santa Catarina. My first boogie was a foam board that left my belly in blood. When the first “hard slick” boards, what we used to called them, showed up at the market I bought an Alto Astral Speed.

I entered some regional & uni comps but that wasn’t my thing, I was more likely to have fun at the comp parties than to focus on winning. For me, bodyboarding is more than that… It’s a lifestyle.

It’s friendship and all the moments that we share.

Today I’m participating at the Azores Regional and for now I’m placed 2nd.

At the moment my sponsors are Miramar Bodyboard Shop, the best bb shop in the country and I really need to thank to Nuno Fontinha to send me anything I need to boog, Nuts Clothing, & Associação de Surf da Terceira which I’m presiding now.