In the second half of the twentieth century, the influence of the United States in the world sporting arena is explicit. The spreading of cultural practices showing North American traces, such as surfing, cannot however be considered only as the result of imposition: there are local appropriations that say much about the context of reception. Based on this consideration, this article aims to discuss the aprehention of surfing in Rio de Janeiro in the 1960s. It thus explores how this sport was taken as a marker of identity, based on its links to certain notions of youth and lifestyle.
sport; surfing; youth; culture; behavior