And you find market for alaias in Portugal ? There was a lot of accession to the product or not ?
NM : In Portugal there is a no large-scale , there are those who want to buy and try . Who are already relatively saturated of the normal surf boards and where is heading and try other approaches that are able to build a closer relationship with the wave .
Now speaking of hand plains why produce them for bodybord ? That also brings something different?
NM : The bodybord enables you to catch waves with the body, the short boards are a good test for the board , will give more direction , more speed and help get the bodysurfer the position where the wave is strongest , i.e. , it is possible to practice bodybord without short boards with them is 10 times better . What led me to produce them ? Again there was none on the market and decided to go back to practicing bodysurfing and this research in 2010 , which was the beginning of Ahua , discovered the hand plain and got out there to see if I had a knack for working with wood .
Where the cork did arises?
NM : Cork emerged in a more spontaneous way, I had worked with this material in terms of design and was doing a board and remembered the cork no longer know why. I was looking for the material and someone arranged me right boards , started experimenting , I found that it worked very well and contributed to the hand plain , it was more than feasible.
There are challenges in working cork material for being a little harsh ?
NM : I had no difficulty , because also work with wood .
What is the balance you do the activity brand these 3 years ?
NM : In 2010 began my research in 2011 on the first day of the year I made my first hand plain and then the brand had an academic process , in which I and a friend of mine who had just finish an accounting course we won a contest in which was call "poliempreende". Only the next year is that the brand was presented formally , however missed the summer and only the March 21st, 2012 that is introduced commercially in the market, for all intents and purposes we have only one year of existence . In 2013 this summer went well , it was a surprise , we did not know if people acquired or not the boards , and they bought it, it was much stronger than the previous year and has been increasing , there are already many people doing bodysurfing and who know the brand .
What are your next goals ?
NM : Next year we want to get into a more visible way in the shops in Lisbon and we already have short boards both in the Algarve and Porto . It is a weak but widespread network and then wants to give consistency to this national circuit . We want to organize a mini championship of bodysurfing, an event - demonstration with tips, because there is already a lot of people practicing.
