The city of Figueira da Foz, in Portugal, will build a floodlight system for night surfing.
The coastal city located in the Coimbra district is known for its consistent beach breaks like Buarcos, Cabedelo, Molhe Norte and Murtinheira.
The area has some of the longest right-hand waves in Europe and is home to multiple national and international surfing and bodyboarding events that have been running non-stop for decades.
But in September 2019, surfers will have the chance to catch waves at night thanks to an ambitious 2.6 million euro project that will illuminate Cabedelo beach.
The project consists of seven floodlight towers and 21 light projectors that aims to extend the surfing opportunities in the famous wave of Figueira da Foz.
The lighting structure will be humidity-proof and will cover an area of roughly 165 feet (50 meters) south of the local jetty.
"This is a unique project, without parallel in Europe and even in the world. The municipality aims to become a water sports and beach destination with distinctive features, like its long stretch of sands in an urban context," stresses João Ataíde, mayor of Figueira da Foz.
The night surfing project is an old dream of the local surfing community that was present as part of Figueira da Foz's participatory budgeting program.
Despite not having won, the mobilization of writer Gonçalo Cadilhe, architect Miguel Figueira, and hundreds of anonymous surfers convinced the mayor to make night surfing a reality.
The construction works start on September 2018 and will be completed 12 months later.