The fifth stop of the 2022 Challenger Series brings some of the world’s best surfers to Europe as they try and secure a spot on the 2023 Championship Tour. The EDP Vissla Pro Ericeira runs from October 1 to 9 and will see the race to secure a CT spot heat up at one of Europe’s great right-handers, Ribeira D’Ilhas.

Event Information

The fifth of eight Challenger Series events this year, there are 10,000 qualification points on table for whoever can top the podium. The 96-man and 64-woman fields are made up of Championship Tour surfers, as well as competitors drawn from the seven WSL Regional Qualifying Series around the world. The EDP Vissla Pro Ericeira will be streamed live on Worldsurfleague.com.

Break Dynamics

The event will be held at the famed Portuguese pointbreak of Ribeira D’Ilhas, which is often justifiably compared to other classic right-hand points around the world. It produces a long, rippable wall and a treacherous inside bowl. In October, the North Atlantic should produce classic swells to light up the entire European coastline, and specifically the west-facing coast of Portugal, on which Ribeira D’Ilhas is located, about halfway between Lisbon and Peniche.

While it is possible to get waves year-round, the best time to score great surf at Ericeira’s best spots is during the fall season, mainly September to November. The water isn’t too cold, and the North Atlantic begins to churn out big, long-period swells that hit the Portuguese coast head-on and could very well treat you to the best ride of your life.

Located 28 miles northwest of Lisbon, Ericeira sits along some of the most scenic Portuguese coastline. Before becoming a surf playground, Ericeira was a sleepy fishing village where King Manuel II of Portugal went into exile back in 1910. Now, the city it’s home to a strong surf community with a host of beginner, intermediate, and expert-level waves on offer.

People just starting out with the sport can sign up for Ericeira surf school lessons and learn on the easy breaking waves of Foz do Lizandro, while intermediates can test their skills at more challenging breaks like Praia do Sul. However, if you want to see world-class surfers on world-class waves, check out Cave, Pedra Branca, or Crazy Left. All break in shallow water and offer heavy, spitting barrels that aren’t for the faint of heart. If you’re not at that level yet, they sure are fun to watch when they’re doing their thing.