From the archive, originally posted by: [ spectre ]

http://fogonazos.blogspot.com/2007/03/pororoca-surfing-amazon.html

“Twice a year, between the months of February and March, the Atlantic
Ocean waters roll up the Amazon river, in Brazil, generating the
longest wave on the Earth. The phenomenon, known as the Pororoca, is
caused by the tides of the Atlantic Ocean which meet the mouth of the
river. This tidal bore generates waves up to 12 feet high which can
last for over half an hour.

The name “Pororoca” comes from the indigenous Tupi language, where it
translates into “great destructive noise”. The wave can be heard about
30 minutes before its arrival, and it’s so powerful that it can
destroy anything, including trees, local houses and all kind of
animals.

The wave has become popular with surfers. Since 1999, an annual
championship has been held in São Domingos do Capim. However, surfing
the Pororoca is especially dangerous, as the water contains a
significant amount of debris from the margins of the river (often,
entire trees).

The record that we could find for surfing the longest distance on the
Pororoca was set by Picuruta Salazar, a brazilian surfer who, in 2003,
managed to ride the wave for 37 minutes and travel 12.5 kilometers. A
surfer’s dream: riding an almost never-ending wave.

Surfers have only recently realized the extreme challenge of surfing
the “Pororoca”, despite the fact of the large risks involved; ship
waste and wreckage, poisonous snakes, to name just a few. This massive
wave gives them the chance to surf and stay on their boards for an
extremely long time.

The Pororoca is not at all predictable; sometimes the wave allows the
surfers to cut huge turns, as if they were on the ocean, while other
times it lets them drift.”