23 Oct 2013

The New York Surf Film Festival

The New York Surf Film Festival strives every year to curate an exhibition of the highest quality surf films from around the world.  We’re very happy to inform that a short film by the Portuguese director Hélio Valentim had its international venue at the New York Surf Film Festival by special invitation.
«Soul of a Carnation, Heart of a Surfer» entered the 2013  official short film selection, after being exhibited at  the Surf Film Fest in Peniche, 2012 and at the SAL – Surf AT Lisbon - festival.Untitled-1

With Pedro Martins de Lima – Lightning Bolt Ambassador in Portugal - in the leading role, it’s a story about freedom and friendship, history and life and soul surf with the finest and first great Portuguese Surfer and Waterman, Pedro Martins de Lima, talking about surfing in the 50′s until 1974, during the oppressive regime in Portugal where surf was not allowed, together with a visual fiction of friends celebrating freedom.

About Pedro Lima:
Pedro Martins de Lima, a true knight-errant, still in search for adventures…
In 2010 we celebrated a very, very special event in the surf community in Portugal: the 80th anniversary of Pedro Martins de Lima, a true waterman, the Lightning Bolt ambassador considered to be the first Portuguese surfer.

This natural adventurer and pioneer, with a life full of journeys and activities, owns a matchless sports curriculum, especially when considered under the dim dictatorship which Portugal was subjected to, that alienated and crushed everyone, or almost everyone. At 6 years old, Pedro begun horse-riding and at 11 he played box (until 19), he was champion of the 2nd Roller Hockey Division (Parede) in 1949; he played university football and rugby; in 1945 he got his skipper’s card and started bodysurfing; four years later he begun skiing, hunting underwater and diving, having dived with the Cousteau Team and long-course sailing with Dr. Alain Bombard; in 1960 he was surfing already, hang gliding and paragliding; in the beginning of the 80’s he embraced windsurf.

But it is his strength of mind and ever-young and active spirit that really strikes us. Pedro shares his magic tales that talk about almost perfect symbiosis between boldness and good-judgment, erudition and experience, joy of companionship and strength of solitude, small details and great objectives, an exceptional integrity and a singular sense of humour. Fascinated by life, Pedro holds everyone’s attention just like an enchanting flute. He’s the most respected personality within the surf community in Portugal.
Those who know him understand the difficulty of presenting in just one text the density and wealth of his extraordinary nature. They know Pedro is a treasure. 

"When I first came to Portugal to meet the new team at Lightning Bolt it was my honor to be received by Pedro Lima. He picked me up at the airport and the time we drove I learned some amazing stories about this amazing man. My father a 90 year old surfer has introduced me to legends like woody brown and Wally Forsyth and Duke Kahanamoku and I would put Pedro Lima into the same breath as these other great men of the sea and surfing.  I really hope to surf with Pedro and have him teach me more of the history of surfing in Europe and the wild tales of his exploits".
Aloha Pedro, you are the man - Jonathan Paskowitz

"I first met Pedro Lima last year in Peniche at an invited friendly dinner party.....I was astonished to see how warm and young his approach was towards me in the sense of conversion... I had heard about him from others legionary surfers and was amazed to see how knowledgeable he was regarding different types of products that he had introduced to the different types of industries through out Europe (…) I found Pedro so out spoken on all the success that he had achieved through different business ventures whilst growing up under the influence of surfing and it was such a pleasure to have had spent time with such an Honourable man... To a great man ....I wish him all the happiness and good health that he deserves and all the best wishes"! - Graham Smith
  

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