Welcome back to the Brazil Sports newsletter. This week, we’re looking at Brazil’s first national team call-up after the Copa América, as well as going over Dani Alves’ triumphant debut for São Paulo. There’s also a look at surfing, as Brazil is setting itself up to be the big global force in the sport. Thanks for reading!
How the Brazilian Storm came to be
Horns sounded across Pipeline Beach in Hawaii, signaling the end of the 2014 Pipe Masters surfing competition. A crowd gathered around 20-year-old Gabriel Medina, who had just become the first Brazilian to win a world title in surfing. Five years later, Brazil has conquered two more such honors: one for Adriano de Souza and another for Medina, who won his second world title last year.
This recent wave of triumphs comes as no surprise. Brazilian surfers have been making their way up the rankings for years, and a number of young athletes have brought the country into the surfing spotlight. As Brazilians conquer a series of titles, the international community has been referring to them as the “Brazilian Storm.” Of the 38 male surfers competing on the 2019 World Tour—surfing’s most elite competition—11 were Brazilian. In fact, Brazil was the most represented country at this year’s event, with 24-year-old Filipe Toledo finishing as the runner-up.
As Brazilian surfers become increasingly successful, the sport has become extremely popular. Six million Brazilians practice board sports—including surfing, kitesurfing and windsurfing, among others—and another 24 million are surfing fans, who enjoy the sport, but don’t practice it.
What’s more, the sport has had a large impact on the fashion industry. Brazil has 30 million consumers of surfwear, of which 90 percent don’t actually surf. According to Romeu Andreatta, president of the Brazilian Association of Board Sports and Industry (ABIEP), the surfing market is being propped up by these “surfing sympathizers,” but they have lamented a missed opportunity to get these people out onto the water.
The global surfing market has taken a hit since the 2008 financial crisis, shrinking by around 25 percent. Mr. Andreatta says there were 2,700 surfwear stores in Brazil before the recession, and only 1,200 stores remain. The market that once brought in revenue of BRL 4 bn can’t reach half of that today.
Mr. Andreatta still sees great potential for Brazilian surfing. With successful athletes winning titles, surfing can gain more visibility. In fact, Gabriel Medina has become a Brazilian icon, getting sponsored by major international brands that aren’t native to the surfing industry, such as Samsung, Coppertone, and Mitsubishi.
“Brazil’s role in surfing is to contaminate everyone with our passion, happiness and our capacity for victory,” said Mr. Andreatta. “We’re always passionate and smiling. Brazil already has these characteristics in football, and it has never been different when it comes to surfing.”
Apart from its natural charm, Mr. Andreatta is working hard with ABIEP to redesign the surfing community’s image in Brazil. He hopes that by preaching inclusivity and the benefits of sports, more people will join the trend.
“We’re changing this culture where...
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