Manuel Centeno, the best Portuguese pro bodyboarder, has been training hard for the 2011 IBA World Tour. Pipeline is near and the former European champion is tuning his tricks in a very similar beach.

The big waves of Nazaré, in Portugal, are the perfect stage for emulating the Hawaiian swell. "The winter temperatures here in Portugal have been real low, between 2 to 10ºC, in the morning. I live in the North, which is the colder part of the country, so the early surfing is not comfortable at all", says Centeno.

Although you may surf big wave all along the Portuguese coast, Nazaré has special geological characteristics. The so-called Canyon has a maximum depth of at least 5000 metres and is about 230 kilometres long. It is larger than the Grand Canyon.

The Nazaré Canyon pumps the swell and delivers incredible waves. "Nazaré is probably one of the five best waves that this coast has. It is a beach break where you can surf considerably powerful waves and normally this happens when good swells get aligned with the underwater Nazaré canyon". Manuel Centeno is already heading to Hawaii and getting ready for the 2011 IBA Pipeline Pro.