Competitor’s Area, Billabong Pro, Rio De Janeiro

A quick look back at the Billabong Pro, Rio, from a different angle. Photog Ryan Miller thinks the surfers sitting in the competitor’s area of the Billabong Pro, Rio, kinda looked like animals on display in a zoo. And looking at the scene from this angle, we tend to agree. Such is the fascination and admiration of Brazilian fans with the world’s elite professionals, they drink-in the sight of their idols in the flesh. Palpable, close (enough), not just a glossy image in a magazine. They’d later be given a huge treat when one of their own, Adriano De Souza, won the contest. “We have a very special animal today kids,” mocks Ryan. “Check it out right there behind the couches, that is King Kelly typing away on his iPhone. What a sight! Don’t stick your hand in the cage because they do bite, especially when they have lost a close heat.”