Who are you?
My name is Zsombi, I come from Transylvania and I already know the joke you just made in your head :D I’m from a small town with a long and complicated name in a deep valley in the mountains. Never thought of ending up on an island in the middle of the Atlantic, but hey, life has its twists and turns. I’ve been living on Sao Miguel since 2013. I originally came here for a 6 month traineeship, but I decided to extend my stay a bit to explore the islands. Bought a bike and started getting lost almost instantly. Loved every minute of it. I still try to find spots where I look around and recognise nothing, alas it is getting rarer as the years pass.

How’s life on the Island?
I’m not complaining, I’ve been here for almost 8 years, so I’ve experienced a lot, the good and the bad. I did notice a gradual shift ever since the tourism explosion of 2014, put simply, it went from devagar devagarinho to relatively hectic. One thing it seems I can not get used to: the winters here. I’ve never seen this much rain and have never felt this much humidity anywhere in my life. Coming from the mountains where we have 5 months of winter and thigh-high snow is not a novelty, you can imagine the contrast. But I’m definitely not complaining, swimming in the ocean in January is not something I can do at home.

Favorite place? Why?
Difficult question… I have so many places connected to so many good memories. Taking a nap atop Lagoa do Fogo after cycling all the way up there. Spending time on the roof of the apartment that we used to rent with friends in Ponta Delgada, great view of the city, many gorgeous sunsets with good company. Swimming in Pesqueiro, where I go all the time to swim and where I met my Maria João. The list goes on and on...

Favorite object? Why?
My small white pocket knife that I have on me at all times. It reminds me of perhaps the best year that I’ve ever lived. In 2017 I quit my job, bought a touring bike, a tent and a sleeping bag, and rode around the archipelago, cycling around and across all the islands; riding, camping all over the map and I really got to know the archipelago more than many Azoreans do, I imagine. I was passing through a small village in Graciosa when I stopped to buy some food and saw a knife that had a windmill and “Recordação da Graciosa” etched on the handle. By that time I’d already spent more than a week in Graciosa and I fell in love with that island, so I had no choice but to buy it. It’s been with me ever since.

One song / one band
Cake - The Distance

How did this idea of carving wood come up?
It didn’t really come up as much as it evolved: where I come from, a pocket knife is something you have with you at all times. Even my mother walks around with a pocket knife in her purse. It’s a tool. Living in a place surrounded by endless forests means wood is a common resource and everyone knows how to whittle at least a little bit. While going on hikes I’d always cut a hazel shoot as a walking stick and when on a break refine it and decorate it with the pocket knife. All the spatulas, wooden spoons, even the cutting boards were made by my dad or granddad, so I always assumed that you make them, not buy them. When I came here the kitchens of the rental houses never had the utensils I needed, so I just ripped a board off a pallet and started whittling away. One spatula turned into two, two into four and suddenly I started giving them away as gifts because I had too many. Having a background in design I kept trying to find the perfect shapes where form meets function. I adore cooking, so all the designs were ‘field tested’ to see if they’re just pretty or useful as well. In the meantime I discovered that the ocean washes up a lot of really good wood on the shore and the years spent in the ocean makes them even more interesting. After being invited to sell my spatulas and chopsticks at the fair during the Azores Burning Summer festival I realised that this hobby would also make sense as an actual project I should invest my time and energy into. Thus S87WOOD was born.

Where can people find your products?
Currently at Azores in a Box, Pele e Osso and I have an temporary exhibit at ¾ cafe. But you can always knock on my door at CRAA (Centro Regional de Apoio ao Artesanato) where my workshop is and check it out yourself; just ask for me. I also have a facebook and an instagram page with a bunch of pictures.

What about hobbies?
Cycling, swimming, hiking, drawing, calligraphy, watching B-movies with friends.

A unique moment in your life?
While in high-school we went on a cycling trip and spent the night in a mountain hut, atop a mountain. I’ll never forget stargazing that night, with no Moon or artificial lights in sight, we’d seen more of the Milky Way than I ever imagined possible.

Any more projects on the line?
Aside from carving wood I also work as the guide for Free Tour Ponta Delgada, I’m also a graphic designer and I do custom illustration and calligraphy.

What haven’t we asked you?
If I plan on staying in the archipelago for the rest of my life and if it was difficult to learn the language. For the first question I have no answer. Learning the language was relatively easy because I had to learn Romanian in school and it too is a romance language, facilitating the process a lot.

Check out more of Zsombi work and adventures @S87WOOD