Rui Costa calls him a “rock star”. “An icon”, wherever you go. Rob Machado has 12 victories in world championship races (which he left in 2001) and has been in the top ten of the professional circuit for 11 consecutive years. With more than 600,000 followers on social media, he is one of the “surf influencers” that Chapter Perfeito powered by Billabong is looking for. The Australian’s presence in the tenth edition, held on February 18, a Sunday, helps explain the turnout at Carcavelos beach. “More than 20 thousand people”, highlights the mentor and organizer of the event in which only the most special maneuver of all, the tube, receives points. “It completely exceeded our expectations.” And another 42 thousand can be monitored remotely in real time via webcast.
Even after the boards have been collected, the competition “continues to generate content” and “return”, because before and after, for days, much more happens, with an impact on Portugal’s reputation, which helps to attract new tourists and practitioners of the sport. With them, they bring restaurant and overnight stay business and accelerate sales of clothing and equipment, in addition to stimulating real estate, tourist entertainment companies and the offer of classes on the coast from Minho to the Algarve (191 schools, according to the latest record at the Portuguese Surfing Federation).
“We worked hard on the experience that [os surfistas] have in Portugal”, explains Rui Costa, with the example of Rob Machado, who stayed in a hotel in the West region, where he played golf and discovered various wines. Foreigners invited to the Perfect Chapter end up becoming “promotion agents ” of the brand and the country, first of all, the municipality of Cascais, which this year hosted the event, with 40 thousand euros in prizes, won by the Portuguese Tiago Stock, just 18 years old.
