It's a rich man's game.
The surf tub game is still in its infancy. While certain investors are wildly bullish, tossing money into developments with pools as centerpiece, claiming they will be the new golf course communities, others are not so sure, pointing to the debacle in Bristol or bad publicity from Palm Springs/Utah.
Though where does Brazil stand on the matter?
The surf mad South American nation, population 211 million, would be an absolute boon to savvy speculators if they could squeeze reals out of artificial wave enthusiasts. The average monthly Brazilian salary is $580ish USD. A day at Kelly Slater’s Surf Ranch in Lemoore, California reported to run between $50,000 and $80,000 per day.
Well, if the price tag coming out of two new Sao Paulo projects is snaring any suckers, then the gold rush may well be on.
With over 11 million souls, Sao Paulo is the southern hemisphere’s largest city, stirring rage in the hearts of Sydneysiders. It is known as a major economic hub for South America though many traffic-choked miles away from any real surf.
Beyond the Club and Sao Paulo Surf Club, just opened, seek to remedy. Only four miles apart in the tony Santo Amaro district, both are currently offering memberships. Beyond the Club runs $125,000 for a family of four. Sao Paulo Club around $150,000.
A lightly used Mercedes Maybach sedan (no accidents, one owner, 9,330 miles), by comparison, costs $145,000.
Unlike Surf Ranch, the properties include tennis, squash, ski simulators, skate parks, spas and restaurants. There is a ski simulator at Hansen’s Surf Shop in Encinitas. It looks horrible.
The membership fee does not come with a home or condominium.
Are you enticed?
Are you enticed to buy that Maybach?
You Fuckers are crazy..If I want to surf shit I can go to the Gulf
Nice comparisson. But here in Brazil, we love our hookers!
You sure like to listen to yourself… You talk to much man.
have you surfed it? Soul surfer! Hahahaha
Brazilian and Estonian hookers the best !!
São Paulo is 100km inland.
The largest city in the southern hemisphere.
The real capital of Brazil.
Guaruja is the closest ocean, in the good old days we made it to the beach in one hour, from downtown to Pitangueiras beach, home of Adriano de Souza, and one of the most consistent waves in Brazil. This was in the 80s, no radars, no police, no traffic. Nowadays it takes one hour just to reach the road, leaving São Paulo…
Maresias and Ubatuba, Medinas and Toledos land, are two hours north of Guaruja. São Paulo has produced 6 world titles. 7 if you include Ítalo, who also moved to Guaruja to be a Pro. The two first Brazilian wave pools were built 150 km inland from SP. Boa Vistas Perfect Swell, and Praia da Gramas wavegarden. Both are part of a closed condo, for very wealthy people. hardcore surfers always find a way to sneak a session whenever there is a chance. But it’s not easy task. Both pools have been running steady and well for the last two years, with some amazing results in improvement for the locals. The kids who are lucky enough to be members, are ripping! Also, lots of old school surfers who succeeded in the cash earning game of life, are having the times of their lives with theirs family. The waves are amazing, specially Boa Vistas Perfect Swell. I have surfed both a few times. It is the real deal, specially Lowers Perfect Swell wave.
Now, in the middle of town, there are TWO more clubs who are just opening! Again,+one perfect swell, one wavegard en. Italo is perfect swell team, and Medina is wavegarden. This new wavegarden, has better waves , according to friends who surfed it. I have not. FOR NOW, it’s a Rich’s boys sport. EXACTLY alike it was in the 70’s when only few people could afford boards and Surf trips. The change has arrived, like it or not. Wave pools are Amazing! BUT WHAT about the SOUL??? It comes to my mind this quote from Laird Hamilton, when people mocked him for towing surfing. Hey, I’ve paddled the English Channel.. How much can you paddle? …Hey, I’ve spent my whole life searching for waves. Can I please have the now? In São Paulo, yes you can. But it’s very expensive, so far. The future of surfing has arrived. And São Paulo is the capital. I would not be surprised if Ítalo and Gabriel move to an apartment downtown. The amount of training,and being close to the airport, plus sponsors, makes sense… Viva Brazil… By the way, the beach scene is alive and kicking. Just check Saquarema tomorrow…
Oi Barton, i lived on the sao paulo coast for one year and surfed all along from Santos to ubatuba in 2001, it was fuken awesome!! The waves were like here in Sydney, not great, but the beach scene was mad and great festas.
I was with locals and it made a big difference im sure,
One of the best times of my life!!
There you go! Travel solo, always better!
How were the Babes?
reborn…
Horny and forward!!
do rio next, punchier sw/s/se swells, better pussy…
SP has better waves than Rio… and better surfers. Bet you are a true lady killer… kkkkkkk
são paulo não tem nada melhor do que o rio… #trouxa
Yep, went to Rio, amazing!!
…asked nobody
You are welcome. Love you too BRO.
sounds pretty cringe- bunch of rich kooks surfing fake waves and paying top dollar for it.
keep hating…
Hate is too strong a word.
Facts don’t have any emotional valency.
The amazing ski simulator ramp at Hansens over this wave pool…9 feet of pure glory brother!
Multiple ski simulators?
Yes. No snow here, so our millionaires have to train somewhere for Aspen season. No joke.
Is there a snowboard simulator? I’ve never been to Brazil and it’s pretty close to last on my list.
Yes. Please stay at home. We don’t need you.
If it’s good enough for Ricardo to leave then it’s good enough for me not to go to.
No snow in Brazil, interesting.
Off topic, but is Indonesia in general a shit show? That Brazilian girl who slipped of the side of a mountain and tumbled hundreds of feet. It took the Indonesians three full days to get some men up there with a rope. She was alive through the second day.
Never been to Indo – what the fuck? If they would have called a team of international rescue climbers, world class experts would have been there transporting this girl to hospital 2 days before the Indonesians even started.
They had to pack durries and noodles. Got the job done.
Xox
If the job was letting her die a long miserable death three hours hike from a trailhead, 10 out of 10
Don’t forget the Beng Bengs
…”is Indonesia in general a shit show?”…
…”Never been to Indo”…
etc etc
But haven’t you ever read about the place ?
Or spoken to any surfers in the last 50 yrs ?
Fuck you’re funny.
Are ya gonna join Chas on the stand-up comedy circuit ?
P.S.
…”If they’d have called…International Rescue”…
(the ‘Thunderbirds’ was a puppet show, sorry)
Mock me if you like, but I’m never ashamed to not know, say so, and ask. Overall has worked pretty good all considered, and if you’re not too insecure I’d recommend it.
Yes I DO like.
But I didn’t really, cripes, ya should see the bits I deleted before posting.
Damn it man, aren’t you always saying that you’ve surfed extensively since the 1970’s, and have traveled widely ?
Yet have never read a surf magazine with articles about such things, and have waited this long to ask one of the most basic surf travel questions since back in the day ?
But then say that asking questions has worked out pretty good for you, all considered ?
And suggest that I haven’t asked those same questions continually, plus many more, myself, barring any potential insecurity ?
I mean, come on, its a third world country…
But 50 bloody years, you waited that long ?
very suss
I don’t really know much about Indonesia. Didn’t realize that was a personality fault.
If you’ve surfed, talked with any surfers, and traveled anywhere in the ‘surfworld’ during the last 40+yrs, then yes, yes it is…
P.S.
And that’s not to ‘mock’ your inability to question things, it’s just cos the amount of Indonesian information
offered toforced upon the ‘surfworld’ through magazines and films since the mid 1980’s has been so huge as to make Hawaii seem like a little-known backwater, and mainland America not even on the map…does seem a bit trolly?
Huge commotion for the girl here in mainstream media…
and yes, you are at your own risk there.
No other country has more muslims…..
Think Guatemala but bigger and full of Muslims. Remember Islam is full of “inshallah” attitude.
Its a very poor country, not enough money to go around, and at the mercy of the elements, wet, hot, mountainous, full of jungle (except where the idiots chopped it all down for palm oil), rife with corruption and run by the military.
That should give you enough reason.
Has Zuckerberg ever ridden a tub? I honestly thought he’d be the first to build his own private wave tub, but I don’t think I’ve ever read that he’s even surfed one. Go figure. It’s not like he’s a purist….we’ve seen him wakeboarding
why own a tub when you own like half of Kauai?
Very much anticipating his Lono moment !
Xox
Cause you can build a tub that’ll be a fine skatepark after the apocalypse
Quite the opposite
Why WOULDN’T you own a tub ON your ‘like’ half of Kauai ?
Because you CAN
(and have nighttime surfpool parties for all your
friendspaid acquaintances, to boost your insta-cred)One of these days I am going to try that ski simulator down in Encinitas, hopefully absolutely blitzed drunk
Film it pussy!
Xox
I just want to let everyone know that Sao Paulo is a city and a state. So if you are like me and for years couldn’t wrap your head around how Adriano De Souza got so good at surfing being from Sao Paulo…now you know.
Sau Paulo Sau Pauloooooooo
Dant dant danna dount ……
Xox
ads’ from guarujá, são paulo state coast city…
Lord have Mercedes!
Country club surfing… No tanks.