Surfers have various routines depending on their situation in life. An elite few have a day which most of us can’t imagine. Days loaded with pressure, tension, joy and misery. Otherwise known as being a CT surfer…

Photos: Alan van Gysen

Frederico…
I wake up early in the morning and have a little stretch and a roll. Then breakfast with Dog before coming to the contest site before the call. I like to have a quick surf before they call it on or off or on hold. Then play with it and see what they are going to do. My free surfs I’m just trying to prepare on the banks, get to know them and increase my knowledge on where to sit. Especially this year as in Portugal as the banks weren’t so good. It’s imperative to be on the good ones as there are not that many good ones in a heat. If I have a big gap before my heat, I will try to go home and relax a little bit and always come back and try to have a little surf before my heat.

Richard ‘Dog’ Marsh, Fred’s coach
Frederico’s normal day is pretty much up at 6 am in the dark. Roll and little activation and for breakfast just a light bite. Down at the event site about 15 minutes before first light. We then wait for the sun to come up and then he’ll surf and try to find some intel on the bank. How it’s breaking, maybe a board change and prepare some more. In the free surfs around the comp we don’t do any specific heat drills or anything like that. It’s normally really crowded, and so it’s just an opportunity to see what the waves are doing. We try to put zero pressure on that first surf. The real job is done before that first surf. It’s just about trying to get into a rhythm and understanding the conditions. If there’s a big gap, Fred will go back home and chill. Watches a load of Netflix and drifts off. Trying to relax away from the spotlight and the pressure a little. Non-surf stuff. There’s a lot of attention on Fred in Portugal obviously, and this is a massive event, but pressure is only a realisation of the situation that you are in. And if you’ve done everything you can to prepare for that situation, then you shouldn’t feel that pressure. You are ready to go. Once we’re into a game day, he’s ready to go, and it’s just about connecting the dots.