Arpoador

Arpoador (literally, "the harpoon thrower") is an affluent neighborhood located on the southern zone of the city Rio de Janeiro, in a small peninsula between Ipanema and Copacabana.

urfing

Arpoador is mostly know for being one of the best metropolitan surf spots Rio de Janeiro has. The rock outcropping creates stable left breakers up to 7 - 10 feet high (wave face measure, as Brazilians do).

Given its metropolitan location, crowds are ferocious and competitive. Given the fact that waves start to break against the rock on a good day, and that a strong riptide along the promontory creates a quick re-entry, the take-off point is very small and only locals (or visiting professional level surfers) have a shot at it.

Although real violence is somewhat unheard of, the levels of intimidation and the risk of escalation are always present as a great part of the surfers are (reportedly) drug dealers or involved in criminal activities from the numerous shanty towns close by.Fact|date=February 2007