It was a pleasure for us to host a young snowboarding athlete in our Surfcamp for a week. A new friend and member of the Gota D’Agua family who we hope enjoyed the Gota D’Agua surfing experience and lifestyle. Here is an interview about him and his thoughts about his trip to Portugal.

Hey Maxi, tell us a bit about yourself, your goals, and what you want to do in the near future?

My name is Maxi Preissinger, I am a 22 years old snowboarder that lives in Germany near Munich. I spend most of the wintertime riding and filming for Snowboard Video Projects in the Austrian Alps. In the next 3-4 months, I will finish my Bachelor’s degree in International Management while continuing to create and plan video projects for the upcoming winter season.

Why Gota D’agua? How does it feel to be at the water-level when spending most of your time above 3000m?

Gota D’agua because it’s awesome there, haha! Also because of how everything works. It starts by landing in Lisbon and heading to the camp by car or Uber for

less than 20 EUROS and in less than 20min. At the Surfcamp, the whole staff is really chill and friendly which creates a family-like style & atmosphere. The bikes they have at the camp, free of use, give you the mobility you need on a vacation and the fully equipped and freshly refurnished house and the yard is a perfect place to chill and hang out with everybody.

Being in the water at Costa da Caparica feels safe which is especially cool for people like me that don’t spend that much time near the sea. Compared to the streams where I am from, the sandy beach feels safer to practice on and waves are of a good size to improve your skills.

How did you find the Portuguese atmosphere and its people? What surprised you the most and what would want to experience again?

I love it here! It has got the classic ocean vibe you want to have on your vacation with friendly, open-minded people everywhere! The most surprising experience for me was the beautiful sunset up on the hill above the town. If you come, ask the staff about a tour there and I promise that it is going to be mind-blowing. I would want to experience surfing again and hopefully party in Lisbon once or twice.

To whom would you recommend coming to Gota D’agua?

I would recommend it for pretty much everyone. Since they have private rooms and dorms, everybody can get the vacation they want or need. Either more private or interactive, but I think if you are more of the type of person that likes to make new connections and friends it’s even better.

Did you learn anything important or worthwhile during your experience surfing and its people surrounding the sport?

I learned that people surfing at Costa da Caparica are way less into localism then in other sports, I’ve been to, which I really enjoyed because it makes you feel more welcome in the lineup.

How do you feel about the efficacity of the COVID-19 measures set by the Portuguese government and Gota D’agua Surfcamp?

I think what has been done by the government is pretty efficient and still doesn’t bother you that much as a guest. You have to wear face masks here and there which is the same at home and no partying in clubs etc… which is good, I would say. In the Surfcamp, it’s efficient as well and it also doesn’t bother you that much. You keep the social distance which is easy to do because the Surfcamp has got plenty of space, and the staff is really on point with making sure everything gets cleaned and disinfected properly all the time. For us, it felt like an advantage honestly because beaches and lineups in the water were chill and not crowded at all.

Big thanks to the staff of Gota D’Agua for having us!