Backstage at the Billabong Pro, Rio De Janeiro

Phew. It coulda gotten real sticky there if the swell hadn’t decided to come back. But it did, and now the smoke clears on Barra Da Tijuca after what Stab‘ll happily call a coupla very entertaining days. Jordy Smith won, and beat Adriano De Souza in the final, and the crowd cheered for Jordy, but mostly for Adriano, and they gasped and whooped like any good crowd does, but with a little more enthusiasm because Brazilians are passionate about surfing and this is Brazil. But, let us leave the crowd for a second and go behind the curtain. The competitor’s area is a sweet utopia of reprieve from fame, where the talent get whatever they need (food, warm-up equipment, a place to weep), and they can mingle quietly away from the screaming and the autographs and the need to smile at all times. Life Without Andy had a backstage pass and documented accordingly. Dig on it above.