FlowRider Mobile in Brazil, Part 2

Stop No. 3 – Jaoquina – Floripa

So there we are; the end of yet another chapter had arrived, but just around the corner, about 10 kilometers away, a new chapter awaits us. The word on the street is that Joaquina is one of the most beautiful beaches on Florianopolis Island and is also known for its great waves. As you can imagine Zak and myself were eager to get to our new home for 4 weeks and see for ourselves. The venue was to be in the parking lot adjacent to the beach which proved to be quite a challenge as its slope was very steep. After a great deal of shimming and measuring we got the Mo Flow level and started putting together the pieces of our puzzle. After about 3 days, two of which were interrupted by a massive storm, we had our toy set up and ready to go. Like a well oiled machine she started up first time and it was not long before a crowd of on lookers gathered around to see what had just arrived.

Our first weekend open proved to be very successful as there was a local surfing competition held by Oakley directly in front of the arena. Current pro’s as well as retired pros such as Danilla Costa, Peterson Rosa and a few others, showed up to tame the beast. It turns out that most of these guys had already visited the famous Wave House venue in Durban, South Africa which has two Flowriders and a double barrel, so it didn’t take long before they were all throwing buckets of spray and pulling off the odd 360.
The weather in Brazil is very unpredictable as we got to know firsthand. The day would start out with some clouds, then the hot sun would burn through and then like clockwork a huge electric rain storm would pass through which would last for about 3 hours. This weather pattern would be the same for days and just added to the irregular issues that would come with running an event such as this.

During this stop Zak, myself and my girlfriend Sarah were very fortunate to get some time to explore some more of the South of Brazil. We had heard from a few locals that there was a huge swell on the way, so Zak and I decided to go and surf some well known beaches on the island and the continent and Sarah (our self appointed videographer) would enjoy the scenery of mountains and endless beaches. We had the chance to meet allot of people during the event and had been offered to go and stay at a beach house about 1 hour from Florianopolis called Guarda Da Embau among other great beaches such as Matedeiro and Praia de Palmas which are all in the state of Santa Catarina. Each beach we arrived at had double over head waves and definitely lived up to their reputations. Thanks to Junior and Pedro for hooking us up.

After some great waves and great crowds at our event, the time had come to break down the Mo Flow and get it all packed up for its venture back up the coast of Brazil where it would find its new home in the north, at a beach called Maresias in the state of Sao Paulo. I know I am starting to sound like a broken record, but this beach is also very well known for its beauty and perfect waves… I guess I will have to adapt.

Words by Greg Lazarus