Andre—Portfolio 3b

Content = 4.5/5

Structure = 4.5/5

Vocabulary = 4/5

Grammar = 4/5

Mechanics = 4/5

Total Grade = 21/25 

Although Brazil is one of the best countries in surf, we don’t have a World Champion, while other coutries already have, like Australia, Hawaii and USA. The asnwer for that is in the local waves, sponsors and determination.

The brazilian waves don’t prepare our surfers for the best waves in the world. Brazil is known for it’s beautiful beaches with sand and sun, but for the surfers, Brazil doesn’t have the best beaches in the world. The waves of the world tour of surfing are strong, powerfull and dangerous, usually they happen not in sand, but in rocks and reef. Very diferent from the Brazil’s waves. The high of the waves very diferent too. Fernando de Noronha, one of Brazil’s best wave, is 5 or 6 feet, while other waves, like Teahupoo in Tahiti is 7 feet or more, and it’s not in sand, but in reef. The brazilian surfers learn how to surf in small waves in Brazil, that’s why they don’t have the same results when they compete abroad, in stronger waves.

It’s harder for a surfer to compete without sponsors, and brazilians have dificult to find one. Brazil is not a developed country, diferent from other potentials countrys in surf, and a lot of our surfers were very poor when young. That make them harder to find a big brand to sponsor them. Vitor Ribas, for example, was the number 3 in the world ranking in 2000, the best brazilian result ever, and now, he is competing in tour by his own, without sponsors, very diferent from the 8 times world champion, the american Kelly Slater. He has a lot of sponsors for diferent things. Even his cell phone bill he doesnt pay, due the fact that he has a cell phone company sponsoring him. Big multinational brands don’t want to sponsor brazilian surfers and it’s much harder for a surfer when he has to pay to compete.

Determination is essential for someone to be a world champion, something that our surfers doesn’t have. We know that Brazil doesn’t have the best waves in the world, but our surfers need to have more determination and stay a long time surfing and training in big and stronger waves, like in Hawaii and Australia, to be ready for the world tour. Kelly Slater, for example, was born in California in a beach with small waves, Cocoa Beach, but he became the best surfer in the history because he trained a long time in the strong waves of Pipeline, Hawaii. Also Mick Fanning for example, he arrived almost 1 month before the start of competition in each stage of the tour, just training. If our surfers were more determined and decide to surf in stronger waves instead of staying in Brazil in vacation, maybe we would have a world champion.