Ribeira D’Ilhas beach will be the first of the traditional five rounds of the MEO Surf League 2021, with the remaining dates to be announced soon. This will start the race to succeed Frederico Morais and Teresa Bonvalot as the reigning national champions.
The MEO Surf League is the 1st division of the sport, with surfing being an individual outdoor sport without physical contact and considered to be low risk by the DGS. Therefore, the conditions heve been met for the return of the national surfing stars to the competition.
The President of the National Surfer Association , Francisco Rodrigues, said “We are very happy to be able to return! Everything points to the regulatory framework in the context of the easing of lockdown plan allowing the issuance of licenses next week. Therefore, we are advancing with all the preparations counting on that confirmation. It is always an honour to start the fight for the top titles of Portuguese Surfing in Ericeira, which, in this case, also carries the importance of being the first surf competition to be held in Portugal in the 2021 season. We are already working with the remaining municipalities in order to announce the following stages very soon.”
The Chief Sales Officer B2C at Altice Portugal, João Epifânio, added: “It is with great enthusiasm that MEO associates itself once again, with the main surf competition in Portugal. Although 2020 was a particularly difficult year for everyone, the National Surf League proved to have the ability to reinvent itself and continues to take the best of surfing across borders. We are very proud to be able to continue to contribute to the growth of surfing in the national territory, by supporting renowned athletes and important competitions, as is the case of the MEO Surf League. I believe that in 2021 we will be able to give an even greater stage to this great competition and make it a reference in the four corners of the world.”
After being the first, and one of the few surfing circuits to be held in 2020 worldwide, the MEO Surf League returns in force for the 12th edition in the current format. Just like last year, it stands out again as an important agent of the return to normality.
In terms of side trophies, the MEO Surf League will have the Allianz Triple Crown, which will be disputed at the three Allianz Naming stages, the fight for the best manoeuvre at the Go Chill Expression Session, awarded with an annual sum of €2,500, the designation of the best local surfers (male and female) with an equal prize between male and female of €2,000 by the Mafra City Council, and also the Bom Petisco Girls Score, a first prize exclusively dedicated to the ladies, with €2,500 annually for the best combined score in the women’s competition board.
As for television, bearing in mind the legal prohibition of audience, the Allianz Ericeira Pro can be followed live from home on Sport TV, as well as on the remaining official means: MEO facebook, at position 810 of the MEO channel grid, on ligameosurf.pt and social networks at @ansurfistas.
MEO Surf League 2021 is organised by Associação Nacional de Surfistas and Fire! Sponsored by MEO, Allianz Seguros, Bom Petisco and Rip Curl, this year with the addition of Go Chill and Ericeira Surf and Skate, sustainability partner Jerónimo Martins, local support by Mafra Municipality, technical support by Ericeira Surf Clube and Federação Portuguesa de Surf.