The Mission - Brazilian Adventure

Not content with following the well-trodden path to Cumbuco, Brazilian strapless freestyle champion Sebastian Ribeiro got out his map and compass, and plotted a route further south. We couldn’t possibly divulge the exact location, but wish we’d been there for the après-caipirinha…

Words Sebastian Ribeiro | Photos Victor Dutra

During challenging times like 2020, I find it important to change our mindset. As a professional athlete, being creative is key to maintaining my health and training schedule. I decided to face the challenge head-on, viewing it from a different perspective, and found a great opportunity. After lockdown in southern Brazil, I finally discovered a place that allowed me to keep my goals alive.

I have been traveling to different places around northeastern Brazil for a few years now, and knew that the rainy season had just ended and the wind was starting to kick in. But I also knew that Cumbuco, Preá and all those famous kite spots weren’t my best option, because the waves in those places only work with a north swell which doesn’t really coincide with the windy season. I pondered where I could find some good wave-riding conditions around Brazil, and after hours of researching, scanning maps and making calls, I found a little gem right on the corner of Brazil.

The coastline of Rio Grande do Norte, where Brazil’s east coast turns to face north, has so many small remote villages. Rain is not unusual there and is actually great because it makes the place really green, packed with coconut trees and full of fun lagoons everywhere. I had heard about this area before and knew that it was promising, but hadn’t explored it myself. I set up base in one of these little villages and, respecting all the health rules for Covid-19, I rented a car and went exploring. I couldn’t believe how perfect it was. It had everything I was looking for – great wind, the right swell direction, good waves to surf and foil, a warm temperature, and a pretty good set up in a relatively small area – I’m talking a two-kilometer coastline full of bays and different types of wave. Also, it’s quite close to Natal, if something goes wrong…

I drove to a spot that is known by surfers, but not really by kiters. You park up at the top of a massive cliff and you have to hike down a pretty sketchy trail to get to the beach. But it is 100% worth it – the wind blows from the side and is stronger because of the cliff, and the beach is fairly well protected which makes the waves really smooth to ride, whether surfing or kiting. Plus, the waves are formed by a huge table-shaped rock underwater, a rare thing in Brazil where most spots are beach breaks. It is quite tricky riding, but I quickly realized that low tide would provide the perfect riding option.

Being an athlete who practices kiting, surfing and foiling as my main sports, my day is usually dictated by the weather conditions. There are only a handful of places in the world where I have the opportunity to choose what I want to do and when I want to do it. That is why this gem, with no crowd at all in the middle of the high season, became my main spot for this trip. I had everything in one package – my three favorite sports to practice during the day, and good infrastructure with great restaurants to go back to and fuel up for the next day… The perfect trip. ■