Tiago Pires is the most successful Portuguese surfer of all time. The story of his life and career are now revealed in "Saca: The Story of Tiago Pires."
He left his mark in Pipeline, he won impossible heats, and he spent 20 years raising his country's flag on the Qualifying Series (QS) and on the Championship Tour (CT).
Tiago Pires won several surf contests and helped boost the sport of surfing in Portugal.
Directed by Julio Adler, "Saca: The Story of Tiago Pires" is a documentary movie with plenty of secret stories, barrels, and good and bad moments.
Pro surfers like Kelly Slater, Sunny Garcia, Mick Fanning, Joel Parkinson, Adriano de Souza, and Tom Carroll help understand the "Portuguese Tiger" better.
Tiago Pires was born on March 13, 1980, in Lisbon. He started surfing in Ericeira's Ribeira d'Ilhas and won his first national junior title in 1994. Four years later, he finished runner-up in the ISA World Junior Surfing Games.
In 1999, "Saca" won the European Pro Junior title; in 2000, Pires clinched his first QS event and finished second in Sunset Beach. The doors to the elite club were only opened in 2007. He surfed against the world's best for six seasons.
"This project means a lot because it's my first major commitment after leaving the World Tour. It is a personal project of mine, and I am confident that my story will captivate the general public," says Tiago Pires.
"I hope that after this movie, people can really understand my path. I also believe it will inspire many young talents who dream to become professional surfers."
"Saca: The Story of Tiago Pires" was released in October 2016 and features an original soundtrack that includes Sonic Youth's Steve Shelley.