Carlos Burle To Carry The Olympic Torch

With the summer Olympics approaching, the Brazilian torch bearers are growing. First, Gabs Medina grabbed the flame in honour of his country – where surf is rapidly taking the place of most adored sport. As is tradition, the cross-continent torch relay continues to pass in lead up to the games. Starting in the birthplace of the Olympics aptly named Olympia, through Switzerland and finally landing in Brazil.

Tomorrow, the man who surfed a 100 foot wave at Nazare just hours after saving Maya Gabeira from drowning at the break, Carlos Burle, will transport the fire. He’ll take the flame on his board from the sands of Maracaípe, where he originally made a name for himself.

“Carrying the torch in Maracaípe makes complete sense to me, it’s a place that has represented everything in my life,” Carlos says.

The 49-year-old charger’s an advocate for surfing in Brazil as something bigger, a mode to bring about positive social change. “People who are truly happy and fulfilled in life know that material things aren’t everything,” he says. “Surfers have a very strong connection with nature and can set an example for people to have a simpler lifestyle, where less is more. The big lesson is that the good things in life are simple.”

He’s also a leading figure in the fight to clean up the widely-covered water quality issue at São Conrado, Rio de Janeiro. “I like to make a difference,” he says. “Work is being done and we’ve had debates with local resident associations. We need to work together and understand that basic sanitation is vital.”

In the meantime, he’ll be carrying the torch in his country’s honour. As always… it’s gonna be lit AF.