10 miles from the shit storm that is the Oi Rio Pro at Postinho, there’s Grumari, a quiet, clean wave. Photo: WSL / @ivan serpa & @yuneskhader/@altasproducoes
Rio is one of the most exciting places on the tour. Not necessarily in a good way, but not necessarily in a bad way, either. It’s exciting because shit always goes down there–fans yell, people cry, surfers drop out, and actual shit (allegedly) bobs around in the lineups. I don’t know what to think, but I can’t look away–not for the surfing, though. It’s more like a reality show that I hate to watch, but can’t seem to change the channel. I just sit there with my hand on the remote hating myself for watching.
Rumors are flying that at least four pretty big names on tour have dropped out of the Oi Rio Pro, including Joel Parkinson (who is currently in Bali surfing a QS event with waves of a calibre that Rio’s will never come close to), Taj Burrow (also in Bali at the same event), and Kai Otton. One thing is for sure, though: the waves at Postinho aren’t up to snuff for a CT event, at least compared to about a million other places in the world. “The best surfers in the best waves”, as the World Surf League puts it, isn’t Postinho without Joel Parkinson and Taj Burrow. They are two of the best surfers. Rio does not have the best waves.
But it makes sense, at least from a WSL point of view, and if you want to watch professional surfing, Rio might just be something you have to deal with. Now, I don’t care much about professional surfing. I don’t really care whether the best surfers in the world really are on the best waves. I do like to watch people surf really well on really good waves, though, and the WSL is supplying that–most of the time, at least. If they have to run one event in shitty waves with a million rabid fans to get viewership numbers up to do that, then so be it. Here’s the good news: if you don’t want to watch professional surfing, you don’t have to. Just don’t read things like this or watch things like that. It’s so easy!
There’s another bit of good news for surfers not looking forward to surfing in the fecal-infested waters of Postinho and dealing with a jersey-tearing, spittle-throwing mob: a few days ago, after a big-ass storm blasted into Rio de Janeiro, the Oi Rio Pro’s location was moved to a spot called Grumari, about ten miles from Postinho. It’s a hard spot to get to, located near a nature preserve, and according to the WSL’s website, and a “go-to escape for CT surfers looking to score some quality waves on lay days.” Buses will take fans to the site if they want, but Postinho will be where the party is at–big screens with live-action and a Corona hosted beach bar… just no event in the water out front. It’s just a beach party with a surf contest ten miles away, and Brazilians love to party. If I were there, I’d sure as hell follow the beer and watch the show on the big screen. But I won’t be, because like Taj and Joel, I am in Bali.
If there has to be an event in Brazil (which there might have to be), the move to Grumari pretty much takes care of the issues: the water isn’t filled with shit, the crowds won’t be there, the wave is apparently “a very good wave. It’s usually a couple feet bigger, but not as hollow as Postinho,” according to Jose Adler, a local journalist.
But is it too little-too-late? The damage might already have been done. It’s possible that the WSL’s efforts at more exposure might’ve swayed a little too far to the exposure side of the scale, instead of the actual-good-waves-side. I’d be willing to throw a couple of bucks that it is too late–and judging by the WSL’s recent willingness to listen to their audience (wildcards this year, anyone?), it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if we saw the Oi Rio Pro scrapped from the tour in the coming years.
