Golden Dreams — Buarcos, Figueira da Foz

with Eurico Romaguera

Some sessions begin with intention. Others begin with a phone call.

I was at home in Lisbon when Kiko called. No build-up, no drama — just the kind of conviction you trust instantly. “It’s pumping tomorrow. And the day after. You really have to come here man.”

I complained, as tradition dictates. I hesitated. And then, as always, I went — because shooting with Eurico is reason enough on its own.

Before sunrise, I slid into my old Merc and headed north, arriving in Figueira da Foz just as the day began to breathe. Buarcos greeted us without ceremony. Cold light, shifting peaks, nothing obvious. One of those mornings where you question the drive, the timing, the optimism.

Eurico — or Kiko, as we call him — has an uncanny sense for these moments. Patient in a way I’ll never fully master, he calmly read the conditions while the rest of the world woke up. A cigarette. An espresso. No rush. “Give it half an hour,” he said. And he was right.

Minute by minute, the waves got cleaner and better. Lines began to connect. The wind eased. What felt uncertain slowly turned generous. It was one of those sessions that reminds you why the ocean is a good teacher for patience — and why surfing, like photography, rewards those willing to wait without forcing the outcome.

Kiko surfed a Gato Heroi by Robin Kegel, drawing clean, deliberate lines through the shifting lines. Behind the lens, I leaned into something new — softer contrasts, a green-gold palette, a dreamlike warmth that gave the series its name: Golden Dreams. Less about an actual representation but a intuition which fits well i thought.

Later that year, this quiet session carried further than expected. During an interview with Pacific Longboarder Magazine — a publication whose editor has long supported my work — I was surprised with a cover image from this very series. The accompanying text was written by one of my closest friends, Vovo Balian, our group’s storyteller and quiet compass. It was one of those moments where persistence, trust, and timing align without announcement.

Golden Dreams is a reminder that not every great session announces itself loudly. Some arrive slowly. Some require a drive before dawn. And some only ask that you show up — ready to wait, ready to listen, and open to what unfolds.