Seasons come and go, and so do people. But at the end of the day, we always win: those who leave are still part of our Surf Cascais family, and those who arrive grow it bigger and bigger.
Our lovely Stephanie Arts finished her 2-year stint at Surf Cascais and is now in Australia. On the way she stopped in Bali and met with Romy and Katie, who are also chasing other adventures. We wish them all the best in their pursuits, knowing that they can succeed in whatever they choose to do.
In the Surf Instructor front, we said goodbye to a big part of the team, as tends to happen every year. Hugo, Steph, Leenoy and Loes left much of them behind and we really want to thank them for making last season such an amazing one.
The good news is that a big chunk of our core staff stayed and is now helping to train a new team:
Alizé is in charge of all the food (including an upgraded breakfast link), volunteers and housekeeping. We hired two full-time people for the latter, and they are amazing. Victhoria came from Denmark with quiet professionalism and Niamh from Ireland with loads of energy and an obsessive urge to apply it. We never had this many compliments on the house cleanliness, and we can only thank them and the volunteers for this.
I am also still here — as you can see — but thanks to Alexandra and Isabella with an easier life. Alex came as a guest last season and is now on the other side of the desk. Meticulous yet outgoing, she will make you feel welcomed while guarantying that everything runs smoothly. Isabella brought her nursing experience to take care of everyone. Used to deal with emergencies, customer services and complex team management, she felt at home from the beginning.
In terms of the surf school, Pedro Vilarinho and José Bica are still here, as well as Pedro Bica and Matheus. Bica senior launched his own venture (link), but is still teaching lessons and making sure the team is trained and happy. Pedro V. brings smiles to everyone’s face while keeping all the gear is in top shape. Pedro Bica uses his charm to energize everyone while Matheus balances the scale with his relaxed attitude. Adding to this mix, we have Beatriz, Nic, Zé and Felipe. Felipe is mister organized, always on point and very aware of logistics. Still, just like the others, he is happier in the water with his students. Beatriz, an actress by training, brings all the passion to our classes, which contrasts well with Nic’s calm attitude and general Aussie “layd-backness”. Last but not least, Zé is a hard-working Portuguese man with a soothing confidence. Together, they make up for a varied team, whose members complement and help one another.
To make sure we are all coordinated and happy, David is still pulling all the invisible strings. It is not easy to increase staff while trying to improve everyone’s conditions, and he make a big effort to accomplish both goals at the same time.
Kiko, on the other hand, registers everything that you see: happy people doing fun things. It surprises me that he can still find creative ways to portray our everyday life. But I guess that is what talented creative people do…
It is a pleasure to work with all these people. Not everyone is happy to go to work every, but knowing that your friends will be there sure helps a lot. I believe this is the case with us. And if you don’t believe me, you can always come and check for yourself 💚 Thank you!