LEAD-IN: Big waves, small waves - Portugal is branding itself as a surfers' paradise all year round. And the country's tourism industry - and fragile economy - are hoping to ride the surfing waves. STORYLINE: Portugal is making waves in the surfing world. Its beautiful coastline is of no news to most, but its unique surf spots might still be unknown to those more used to dreaming of Hawaii, Indonesia or South Africa in the search for good waves. From the giant waves in Nazare in western Portugal where Garrett McNamara broke a world record in 2011 - to Peniche in central Portugal with the ASP World Championship - surfers are putting Portugal on the map. The waves keep coming and the money flowing. In 2009 Supertubos beach in Peniche hosted one of the key stops of the Professional Surfing Championship, and this has bolstered the area's fortunes bringing thousands of surfers to its sand and surf. The mayor of Peniche, Antonio Jose Correia says to be included alongside Hawaii as a surf destination is a huge honour: "To be included in this elite of world surf - it is the 'formula one' of surf - to be on this circuit, and be one of the (Supertubos) two stops in Europe and to precede Hawaii, which is such a reference, we all dream about going one day to Hawaii - even if now some already say 'one day I will go to Supertubos' - so to be part of all this is very positive for us." Peniche authorities conducted a joint-study with the local College of Tourism and Maritime technologies and found that surfing is bringing millions of euros of revenue to the area. "I can say that the total and direct (economical) impact (of the event) has been within the range of the 7 million -8 million (euros) (USD $85.5 - 97 million)," explains Professor Joao Paulo Jorge, in charge of the study. Professor Jorge says he expects much more to come in the long-term as new surfing businesses are flourishing. And it's not just the Portuguese who say that the waves are a big hit. Surfers are coming from across Europe, and further afield. Oscar Araus is from Spain, "It's a great place. Look, I'm Spanish and lately we prefer to come to Portugal for surfing, rather then to stay in Spain. This says it all, I think." And surfing has attracted the attention of the Portuguese government too. Adolfo Mesquita Nunes, Secretary of State of Tourism says he wants Portugal to become a world class destination. "Today we are already known and renowned as a surf destination, but we need to achieve the level in which the first thing that comes up in the mind of a surfer who is starting out or of one that is already established to be - 'we need to go to Portugal to surf!'" Legendary big waves surfer, Garrett McNamara has newly discovered Portugal's waves. "I'm very blessed and lucky to have ventured all around the world and Portugal was not a destination, because I didn't know. And now that I know, I just feel it is my duty to let the world know how amazing it is, just because of my experience finding out how amazing it is. And it is literally the California of Europe, without the sharks," he says. After the American professional surfer broke a world record for the biggest wave ever surfed in North Beach, Nazare in 2011 he stayed around, becoming almost a local. Recently, McNamara was chosen by the Portuguese government to become the face of an international tourism campaign promoting Portugal as a year-round premium destination for surfers. 50 kilometres (31 miles) from the capital, Lisbon is another surfing hotspot, Ericeira. It was named as a world-class surfing reserve by the World Surfing Reserves organisation in 2011. Surf schools, and surfboard shops are flourishing in the area thanks to the big waves. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/9a7f40e9b5c5412bdedc068591714799 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork

• published: 03 Aug 2015
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