Brazilian surfers

[hymie]

surfing is now a global sport and the rules and etiquette for surfing seem to be accepted and generally adhered to by surfers from every country - except one.

i just got back from a surf trip and i noticed in the visitors journal at the resort that surfers from many countries had commented that the worst thing (or the only bad thing) about their surf trip was being in the water with brazilians. how is it that one nation can completely miss, or choose to ignore, the accepted rules of a sport ? fair dinkum, if there was a surfing UN, there'd be an embargo on exporting surf products to brazil and a ban on accepting surf tour bookings from their citizens.

i experienced it myself again last week. having a great surf and a boat drops half a dozen of them on our break who immediately begin paddling inside, snaking, dropping-in, the works. you tell yourself that you'll do it back to them but the whole thing becomes a waste of time. and they totally drop in on each other the whole time anyway.

more people each year travel for waves, so this issue will get bigger. if it's a matter of education, then maybe someone in the surf industry can get some brazilian WCT surfers to do interviews with their local surf rags and politely explain to their readers that they are known as the pigs of the surfing world and they have to change their act. doesn't seem right for one group of people to spoil it for everyone else.

[Felix]

Send them over to Cactus with a movie camera and tell them the locals hate to surf alone.

[Freshie Boy]

gross generalisation, but the majority of Brazilian surfers in the Sydney area and those i've encountered overseas, are massive f.uckwits.

however my ol nextdoor neighbour (who didnt know how to surf), was a terrific bloke to be around.

direct correlation between attitude and if they surf? better get the CSIRO onto it asap

[Thibb]

Only time I ever got into an argument in the surf that ended with screaming was with a Brazilian, so I also think you are onto something. So is Ringmaster when he points out that most travelling Brazilians belong to a spoiled upper class (I have been to their country, I know what it looks like), but he is missing out on something else.

In Sydney people will queue at the bus stop, at the information booth, at the cash register and in a couple dozen of other places. In Brazil you either push to the front, or get pushed aside. Different rules that apply to surfing just like to everything else. And because they travel in packs (just check the Brazilian enclaves at Bondi and Manly) no one is going to tell them off for it.

[Nick Carroll]

I'm always amused by this.

Seems to me the standard Aussie attitude to Brazilian travelling surfers is incredibly similar to the standard Californian Old School's attitude to Australian travelling surfers.

Ie while there are of course plenty of examples of Brazilian surfers chasing more than their share of waves (as have many, many Aussie surfers over the years), there's more than a splash of nationalistic intolerance at work -- due (as the old CA intolerance of Australians was) to us thinking we somehow have a greater right to waves and the sport in general.

There's a few other parallels. Brazilian surfers -- as do many Aussies -- usually develop their surfing in random beachbreak style surf, that's susceptible to rapid changes in conditions and way less structured than say the typical CA pointbreak or Hawaiian reef. Thus their sense of etiquette is a bit more scattered and apt to a quick paddle reflex rather than a rigid hierarchy.

In other words, maybe one reason we overreact to Brazilian surfers in the lineup is because we sense a disturbing similarity to ourselves.

btw don't labour under the mistaken impression that the Brazilian surf community is unaware of its reputation internationally -- a number of their senior figures have penned various articles in the Brazilian surf press on the subject, urging intelligence and sensitivity on the readers. They've had about as much effect as such articles would've had on the Australian surf community -- ie zero.

[wanto]

we've got a good little crew who've always been polite, friendly and surf really well. they are welcome.

[chrisb]

In Sydney people will queue at the bus stop, at the information booth, at the cash register and in a couple dozen of other places. In Brazil you either push to the front, or get pushed aside. Different rules that apply to surfing just like to everything else.

Even with my non-sociological background it seems clear that cultural upbringing has something to do with it. My experience travelling Europe & the USA is that people from many former Eastern European countries just aren't brought up to wait in queues like the English & Aussies are. They just rush to the front ie. every person for themselves.

Who's had bad experiences with Russian surfers.

[Clif]

Aussies waiting in queues. wtf Since when

[Sarge]

Aussies waiting in queues. wtf Since when

To true!

The bahaviour of some of the Aussie guys l came across in Bali this year (actually all of my last few trips) was just plain untidy. Infact l think without a doubt the Aussie's were the worst for paddling straight to the spot wave after wave.

I was left thinking many a time "well it's little wonder the Euros and Brazilnut drop in so much, when all we do take every set wave that appears"

[bc]

Is it because they're more identifiable?
-if you have a surf with 20 guys, all in black wetsuits, and one with a red one, you'll notice him more. Other than the odd Frenchie, there's not too many other well represented surfing nationalities.
Some of the tales about Indo skippers refusing to take Zillas may be another story tho.

[kreepykrawly]

On land Brazilians behave far better than any nationality I’ve come across. I worked as a bouncer at the Manly Pacific Hotel a few years ago and on Wednesday nights they used to have Brazilian nights. The place was chocka’s. None of em got drunk and all behaved respectfully and in total control.
It was kinda weird that for a place that was absolutely full of people (99.99% Brazilian) you could walk straight up and order a drink without waiting more than a few seconds.

Let me also add that it would not be a good idea to attempt to take a Brazilian national on unless you like being strangled to death or know how to look after yourself. Most of em are pretty passionate about Jiu Jitsu and wouldn’t hesitate to remove the air from your lungs once cornered(or blood flow to brain).

In Water
What I have found over the years is that lone travelling Brazilians surfers (hi Marco) are respectful and usually very talented (especially in the big stuff)
However there have been numerous occasions where I’ve felt like buying a machete and chopping them up while they all slept.
Hoards of rabid wave hungry Brazilians descending upon “your” wave and dropping in on everybody is enough to test the patients of any surfer. If you have not experienced that then you either haven’t travelled enuff or you’re full of shit.
It happens and Ringer is correct when he says that certain Brazilian surfers attitudes suck…far worse than anything I’ve ever experienced from travelling Ozzie surfers. NC’s non patriotic view on things is not entirely honest.

P.S Also don’t confuse Brazilians with Peruvian/Chilean surfers (which is often the case). They can be far worse.

P.SS I know Brazzo’s here in Sydney and often bail them up on their pack like mentality in Indo waters.

[craig]

Israeli surfers.... now they ****. Seem to have it in their heads that the world is out to get them...... wonder why?
Just returned from Maldives and not a brazo in sight, only problem were rude arrogant israeli's.

[kreepykrawly]

Israeli surfers.... now they are ****. Seem to have it in their heads that the world is out to get them...... wonder why?
Just returned from Maldives and not a brazo in sight, only problem were rude arrogant israeli's.

The only reason that you never saw Israeli’s in Indo was because they where not allowed to travel there. Predominantly Muslim country.

They all flocked to India instead......... and now Maldives.

[2nd Reef]

I don't mind surfers that want the inside, but be subtle about it!

When you're sitting on your board use your lower legs and feet to kick you towards the inside position. Pretend there is a current that is dragging you inside. Hey, it's the current, there's nothing you can do about it.

Or, strike up a conversation with the fella holding the inside spot. Get friendly! When he realises what a good bloke you are take two strokes inside of him. He won't have the courage to pull you up.

Try and 'sell' the shit waves to the crew sitting inside of you. Hoot unnecessarily, make like you're going to take it, ask them urgently 'if they're going'. They'll go.

There are plenty of other ways but I'm gonna keep them up my sleeve. What I won't stand for though is dark-skinned bastards just paddling straight for the inside without any pretence of waiting or sharing.

[rightbrainpositive]

What I won't stand for though is dark-skinned bastards just paddling straight for the inside without any pretence of waiting or sharing.

What about the light-skinned bastards??

[rightbrainpositive]

Just messin' with ya lads. Not all of us dark-skinned bastards paddle straight for the inside

[Grooter]

I haven't travelled enough.

As much as I am entertaining an O/S surf trip in a few years with a few mates - reading about everyone elses experiences on here is enough to turn me off it.

[loco4olas]

I'm always amused by this.

Seems to me the standard Aussie attitude to Brazilian travelling surfers is incredibly similar to the standard Californian Old School's attitude to Australian travelling surfers.

Ie while there are of course plenty of examples of Brazilian surfers chasing more than their share of waves (as have many, many Aussie surfers over the years), there's more than a splash of nationalistic intolerance at work -- due (as the old CA intolerance of Australians was) to us thinking we somehow have a greater right to waves and the sport in general.

There's a few other parallels. Brazilian surfers -- as do many Aussies -- usually develop their surfing in random beachbreak style surf, that's susceptible to rapid changes in conditions and way less structured than say the typical CA pointbreak or Hawaiian reef. Thus their sense of etiquette is a bit more scattered and apt to a quick paddle reflex rather than a rigid hierarchy.

In other words, maybe one reason we overreact to Brazilian surfers in the lineup is because we sense a disturbing similarity to ourselves.

What a load of crap Nick. Please, get real-enough navel gazing.

I've travelled extensively, including to Brazil, and without a doubt the majority of Brazilian surfers are d i c k s to surf with-unless they're solo-then they're meek and polite-the mob rule rule.

As Wanto noted-not all are that way, but most are. I've got Brazilian mates that agree that many Brazillian surfers are a pain in the arse-just a fact.

Talk to any South American surfer and they're always quick to point out that they're not a Brazilero-and loathe to be mistaken for one-well aware of the Brazilian surfers' deserved rep.

On the other hand the majority of Aussie surfers know the rules in the surf -again there are exceptions to the rule-which proves the rule.