Riding the waves out of Rio's slums

A pair of surf schools offer impoverished kids an opportunity to get out of their neighborhoods and onto a wave

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Surf Rio
Cristiano Gomes 'Xuxu' leaves the Rocinha slum on his way to Sao Conrado beach, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Before he learned how to surf at the school, his "life was pretty bad," he says. He would juggle for spare change from motorists
(Image credit: (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) The kids live mostly in Rocinha, Rio's largest slum, a place where peddling small wares for cash or getting sucked into criminal activities is more common than venturin)

Gabriel de Lima, 13, stretches before surfing at Sao Conrado beach.
(Image credit: (AP Photo/Felipe Dana))

Magno Neves dives with his board at Arpoador beach. Neves, a 23-year-old from the Cantagalo slum, surfs nearly every day.
(Image credit: (AP Photo/Felipe Dana))

Rocinha Surf Association (ASR) teacher Carlos Belo, right, instructs young students before entering the water at Sao Conrado beach. ASR founder Marcio da Silva sees the school as a social project: "We rescue the youth from inside the c
(Image credit: (AP Photo/Felipe Dana))

Boards stand lined up at the Rocinha Surf Association's headquarters. ASR has given free lessons to over 2,000 children from Rio's shantytowns.
(Image credit: (AP Photo/Felipe Dana))

Rafael Silva, second right, and Joao Pedro Alves, second left, prepare their surfboards at the Rocinha Surf Association headquarters. Along with free surfboards and clothes, kids are taught how to maintain and fix their gear.
(Image credit: (AP Photo/Felipe Dana))

Robert Silva pauses for a photo while fixing his board.
(Image credit: (AP Photo/Felipe Dana))

Wesley Mario, right, and Loran de Almeida, both 13, walk back to the Rocinha slum after surfing at Sao Conrado beach.
(Image credit: (AP Photo/Felipe Dana))

ASR teacher Carlos Belo, center, exercises young students before entering the water at Sao Conrado beach.
(Image credit: (AP Photo/Felipe Dana))

Magno Neves surfs at Arpoador beach. Neves discovered the sport when he was 8 years old, after a surf teacher spotted him skateboarding in the slum where he lives.
(Image credit: (AP Photo/Felipe Dana))

Young surfers from the Rocinha slum enter the water at Sao Conrado beach.
(Image credit: (AP Photo/Felipe Dana))

Sarah Eberspacher
Sarah Eberspacher

Sarah Eberspacher is an associate editor at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked as a sports reporter at The Livingston County Daily Press & Argus and The Arizona Republic. She graduated from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.