news agency
A freshwater wave challenges surfers in the Brazilian Amazon

A freshwater wave challenges surfers in the Brazilian Amazon

He surf in the brazilian amazon It begins with the practitioners inside the river, waist-deep brown water, and applause that begins the challenge: riding the “Pororoca”, one of the most admired and feared waves in the world.

The Pororoca, which means “big bang” In the Tupi Guarani indigenous language, it is a phenomenon that occurs twice a year, when the oceanic waters of the Atlantic meet the currents of the Amazon rivers at high tide and push them in the opposite direction.

In Arari, a city of 30,000 inhabitants in the state of Maranhao (northeast Brazil), the wave of fresh water generally manifests itself in March and September, during the full and new moon days, as a brownish avalanche of up to four meters high that runs twice a day the river Mearim.

The Pororoca “It has a different energy than any wave, a special connection with nature. Surfing her, in a respectful relationship with her, is wonderful, fantastic”, says Ernesto Madeira, 29, who has been surfing in the Amazon for seven years.

Like him, thousands of surfers from the region and other parts of Brazil flock to the Amazon rivers for this unconventional challenge, many used to riding waves in the open sea.

In the past, the Pororoca was mythologized by riverside residents as a monster, due to the fact that its passage often flooded lowlands adjacent to the course of the rivers, causing disturbances.

Riding it is very different from surfing an ocean wave, its fans point out. Its obstacles, too: from tree trunks or loose branches underwater to unwanted encounters with alligators (a kind of crocodile) or anacondas.

“The adrenaline increases when we are in the water and we hear the wave approaching. At that time, we always think about getting out of the water, but it’s too late.”confesses Teognides Queiroz, 40, while squatting down applying paraffin to his board, before entering the Mearim River.

a collective rite

River surfing is practiced as a collective ritual, with practitioners encouraging each other and going out together to swim on their boards until they find a good spot to wait for the arrival of the wave. This is how it is in the Amazon: the collective over the individualism of traditional surfing, says Queiroz.

“We are all on the same wave, each one encouraging the other”Explain.

In Arari, the Pororoca is also becoming a tourist attraction.

Although the waves are not as high as those of the sea, they can last almost an hour to completely disintegrate, with an average speed of 30 kilometers per hour.

“I got to surf it, it was worth it”says Carlos Ferreira, 18, happy for having been able to tame the Pororoca a few minutes before, advancing thanks to his strength through the Mearim.

“Gives a lot of adrenaline”explains the young man, as he hugs his orange board with green details, still soaked.

“It’s a good feeling in the body. Can not explain”.

Source: AFP

Source: Gestion

You may also like

Hot News

TRENDING NEWS

Subscribe

follow us

Immediate Access Pro