Ambassador - Marcio Dias
Born in: Copacabana / Rio de Janeiro
Date of Birth: 13/09/1977
Resides in: Constantine Bay / England
Marcio was born a water baby in Brazil and ever since his parents went to the beach with him and his love story with the Ocean started.
“ A friend of mine took me on a Surfboard when I was three years old and although I didn’t really understand the process of the glide in the white water, I felt in my heart that I’d spend the rest of my life doing this thing"
Marcio’s first time on a Surfboard was at Copacabana beach. Since then he knew he had found what he wanted to do in life and with the support of his parents the 'beach weekend warriors' became something very frequent and usual.
Between the ages of 13 to 18 he took part in surf competitions all over Brasil. Since then Marcio became a professional surfer and spent his teenage years gaining experience and also getting involved in Ocean activities like Lifeguarding and Open Waters swimming.
Back in Brasil he worked as a Surf teacher and lifeguard also involved in environmental projects like the Marine Turtle protection “Tamar project”.
In 2002, Marcio moved to Portugal and discovered the potential of the Portuguese Coast line spending time in the “Algarve” south of Portugal. He competed in the European league of Surfing winning Surf Contests in France and Norway including also River Surfing events in the land locked Switzerland winning several consecutive titles. Switzerland has had a major influence on Marcio’s career because it was there that he got involved with Snowboarding and “Wake Surfing” giving him a wide campus in to multiple board sports which was super important to bring new disciplines like Kite Surfing and Windsurfing into the mix.
In 2005 Marcio had the opportunity to put together his own Surfschool in Constantine Bay, England, a place where he resides still today. In 2009 he got to know paddle board surfing and that bought lots of new challenges to his already wide arsenal of board sport disciplines. Marcio was the first holder of a British Passport to be able to take part in the Paddle Boarding World Professional Tour.
While spending the past 10 years going to Hawaii, Marcio felt in love with big wave Surfing in Waimea Bay, outer reefs, phantoms, “Peah’i” Jaws and this again opened the door to another kind of world that drew Marcio in and meant he had the need to spend more time in the water challenging himself.
Today, Marcio is totally dedicated to ride custom made Hydrofoil boards with his Surfboard Sponsor “Diplockshapes” working on specific prototypes. This new way of riding waves he learnt in Maui with the 4 times SUP Racer World Champion “Casper Sthainfar” Athlete that Marcio had coached before in previous years of he’s career in Denmark, Marcio’s drive to bring the Hydrofoil riding in XXL Surf is his daily passion. Knowing that it is possible, Marcio’s efforts to make Risk Assessment Group Courses in Ireland, Portugal “Nazaré” and Hawaii with the highest skilled people in the business.
Marcio together with Danilo Couto “from Brazil”, Brian Keaulana “from Hawaii” and Peter Conroy “from Ireland” Marcio has been training strongly to achieve his maximum potential for any kind of extreme situation. The BWRAG “Big Wave Risk Assessment Group” have been delivering courses around the globe and the “Irish Tow In Association Club” have putt training programmes on in the North of Europe and also in the “Jet Resgate Portugal” where many educational formation courses in Nazaré, Portugal have been run to benefit those who wish to improve their ability to do Big Wave Riding.
Marcio is currently building his base at Nazaré, Portugal for the up coming season. He can been seen taking to the water in his bright cyan UP Vest on any of the boards he feels like on the day.
Want to know more ? Follow him on Instagram: mfd_inc / Facebook: Marcio França Dias
Aloha