The World Surf League Rio Pro Has Been Officially Relocated

Since 2012 Postinho, Rio has been the site of the Brazilian stop on tour, and after much criticism, poor wave and water quality and an ill-timed shooting witness by Conner Coffin and Riss Moore, there has been a swap of locale. As we speculated on about a month ago, the site has been moved to Itaúna Beach, Saquarema.

A two-hour drive from Posthino, Saquarema is a happily-invited call. For a few reasons, first, there’re no reports of faecal matter in the lineup. Second, the wave quality is significantly better. And it’s held competitive surf events for as long as memory permits, including QS competitions. So, in 2017, Saquarema will welcome the world’s best for the second time since 2002.

“I’m excited to confirm the new location of Saquarema for the 2017 Rio Pro,” said Kieren Perrow, WSL Commissioner in today’s press release. “The athletes will benefit from its consistency and potential for excellent waves. Postinho was a great spot, but we rarely got it at its best and the water quality in recent years has been a big challenge.  We were committed to keeping the tour in Brazil, and look forward to delivering an outstanding event for fans all over the world.”