Bodysurfing, bodysurfing or the popular alligator. There are many names, as well as the origins of this sport, considered the purest and most original way to glide over the waves, using only your own body to flow and connect with nature. “It doesn’t have an exact date, a moment of invention. It came before everything else and nobody knows who invented it. Maybe even a caveman went into the sea and caught a wave with his own body”, philosophizes Kalani Latanzzi, betting on his fellow Hawaiians as the forerunners of the sport. Despite being born in the volcanic islands of the Pacific, the 50th state of the United States, Kalani went to Brazil as a baby and learned to surf in the powerful waves of Praia de Itacoatiara, in Niterói, metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro, where he literally left to rotate the seven seas of the planet. In addition to winning the 2017 edition of the Bodyboard World Championship, he went down the walls of Nazaré (Portugal), Jaws (Hawaii) and Puerto Escondido (Mexico). With so many exploits he earned the nickname of waterman (water man, in free translation) and became the subject of a documentary. “Burst surfing is the beginning of everything, a basic sport that can avoid difficulties and traumas. If the strep (board string) breaks, [o surfista] you need to know how to ride the wave or catch one that will take you out of the breakers and take you back to land safely”, explains the 29-year-old athlete, who learned the sport at 12 following, on YouTube, the multi-champion bodyboard Mike Stewart: “ He is also a super champion in bodyboarding. Who comes from this modality brings a knowledge, because there are many similarities, just take the board”. At the age of 60, the American Mike also practices the modality, in the 1990s it was called a lost art, but from the 2000s it evolved in popularity with more and more styles and maneuvers such as the roll, tube and 360º. “What motivates me is the ocean. The sea is always changing, and every time I enter it, whether to compete or to have fun, I always have a new and different experience”, says the veteran, citing the reasons for continuing to compete in competitions around the world. Fishman Another character from the Itacoatiara Pro (outdoor sports festival) is Henrique Pistilli, also known as fishman. Based in Fernando de Noronha (Pernambuco) since 2010, the carioca suffered a knee injury and ended up not competing: “My intention was to participate, celebrate this shoal of incredible people. Even here from the sand, I could see these great performances. The sport is growing more and more because of this convergence and exchange between athletes”. According to Pistilli, children intuitively play catch alligator, a natural practice that can be observed anywhere on the globe where there is a person near a beach: “In the Pacific, the oldest terms to identify this practice are Kaha Nalu and Umauma. In Brazil there are jacarezeiros, so nicknamed by the military of the Fort of Copacabana in the beginning of the 20th century”. In addition, the athlete bets that the future of body surfing involves freestyle, which is increasingly improved and independent of competitions: “They [competições] are important, but I see bodysurfing as closer to being zen in yoga, as it allows a deep connection with the sea. You can feel all this energy on your skin”. Itacoatiara Pro After eleven editions, Itacoatiara Pro had a bodysurfing competition for the first time. The competition, held last Tuesday (20), was championed by Yuri Martins from Rio de Janeiro. The runner-up went to Kalani Latanzzi and the third place went to Mike Stewart. Already this Wednesday (21), the event brings together big wave surfing names, such as Lucas Chumbo, Vitor Ferreira, Eric Souza, Raoni Monteiro, Gabriel Sampaio, Pedro Calado and Guilherme Herdy.
Agência Brasil
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