GEOGRAPHY: Copacabana Shorebreak Session

GEOGRAPHY: Copacabana Shorebreak Session

(23 APRIL 2013)

Steve "Action" Jackson at Copacabana Shorebreak.  GoPro Photo: Felipe Watson

  Don't let the name fool you.  Copacabana Shorebreak (in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil) is anything but a shorebreak wave.  This short, fast right-hander breaks over an extremely sharp and shallow reef.  Even when the waves are small this spot packs a serious punch.  As swell lines roll in,  the water sucks up off of the reef, the wave stands up and it surges forward as a slabbing barrel.  According to the cariocas (locals) here in Copacabana, the wave was previously known as "Scorpion Express" but the locals started calling it "Copacabana Shorebreak" back in the 80's as sort of a deceptive misnomer so as to hide it's location.  It's quite understandable that people would want to conceal this wave.  With a very tight takeoff zone and a short length-of-ride, the line-up tends to get crowded if there are any more than six people in the water.  These days, though, Shorebreak isn't really much of a secret.

My friend Flavio's brand new "Shorebreak Tattoo"...ouch!  GoPro Photo: Felipe Watson

   As I sat at my computer first thing this morning, I got an IM from my friend, Flavio Brito.  "Paddling to Shorebreak around 9.  Let's go?"  That's all I needed to hear.  I was in.  We met up at Posto 5 at 9:30am, paddled out to Shorebreak around 10am, and pulled a four hour session.  The conditions were almost perfect...sunny skies, crystal clear water, glassy conditions, and some sick little barrels.  For most of our session, there were only a handful of us out in the water.  At one point, though, the line-up got jammed packed with about 15 people scrambling for waves.  Eventually, the crowd thinned out again and we were joined by photographer Henrique Pinguim.  It was a great session with a lot of really fun barrels, along with a fair share of "Shorebreak Tattoos"...the colorful nickname that the cariocas have for reef cuts from riding here.  I'm stoked on today's session!!!

  That's all for today from BODYBOARDING 101.  Until the next time, I'm Steve "Action" Jackson.  I'll see you out in the water...YEEEWWW!!!