A-frame

Aaberg, Denny

Aaberg, Kemp

Abberton, Koby

Abbruzzi, Sid

Abellira, Reno

Abubo, Megan

academia and surfing

Adler, Tom

advertising and surfing

Aeder, Erik

aerial

Aguerre, Fernando

Aichner, Scott

Aikau, Clyde

Aikau, Eddie

Aipa, Ben

air-drop

airbrush

Airshow

Ala Moana

Alabama

alaia board

Alaska

alcohol and surfing

Alexander, Kala

Allen, Chuck

Alms, Paige

aloha shirt

Alter, Hobie

Alvarez, Pepe

Ancell, Kevin

Andaman Islands

Andersen, Lisa

Anderson, Craig

Anderson, Simon

Andino, Kolohe

Angel, Jose

angle

Angola

Angourie

Antarctica

Apocalypse Now

Arabian Sea

Aragon, Janice

Arakawa, Eric

Archbold, Matt

Arena, Eduardo

Ashton, Juan

Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP)

Atlantic Ocean

August, Robert

Aurness, Rolf

Auster, Ken

Australia

Avalon, Frankie

Azores

backdoor

backside

backside attack, Pipeline

backwash

bail out

Bain, Rob

Baja California

Baker, Bernie

Baker, Grant “Twiggy”

Baker, Tim

Bali

Ball, John “Doc”

Ballard, Bill

Ballard, Rochelle

balsa

Baltic Sea

Banks, Jim

Barbados

Barilotti, Steve

Barland, Michel

Barreda, Sergio “Gordo”

Barry, Michael

Bartholomew, Wayne

Baxter, Jackie

Bay of Bengal

Beach Boys, The

Beacham, Debbie

beachboys

beachbreak

Beachcomber Bills Grand Prix

Beachley, Layne

beavertail

Becker, Phil

Bedford-Brown, Stuart

Belgium

Bells Beach

Bendall, Ma and Pa

Bennett, Barry

Benson, Becky

Benson, Blanche

Benson, Linda

Bermuda

Bertlemann, Larry

Small and relatively affluent Spanish-speaking country on South America's Atlantic coast, between Argentina and Brazil; covered in gently rolling grasslands, and featuring a reasonable amount of soft, shapely, easy-to-ride surf. Uruguay's best waves are found along the central and northern portions of its 135-mile coast, especially around Punta del Este, a 50-mile stretch of shoreline containing at least 35 surf breaks. Incoming swells west of Punta del Este for the most part are blocked by Argentina. 

While Uruguay has ridable waves all year, the spring and summer months (September to March) bring onshore winds and swarms of beachgoers. Fall and winter surf is bigger—sometimes up to six or eight foot—cleaner, and less crowded, although a broad continental shelf drains much of the power away from approaching swells. Most waves here are right- breaking, and form over sand-bottom beaches or rocky points. 

Midday coastal air and water temperatures both range from the mid-70s to the low 50s. A visiting American missionary introduced surfing to Uruguay in 1961. Two years later, Omar Rossi, a lifeguard from Montevideo, built himself a wooden surfboard by following the instructions from an old Popular Mechanics article; two of Rossi's friends, Ariel Gonzalez (who later wrote a book on Uruguayan surfing history) and Jaime Mier, soon bought modern boards and also began riding waves. 

The first Uruguayan surf contest was held in 1969 at Manantiales beach in Punta del Este. The country hosted its first international surf contest 10 years later, also at Punta del Este. Film footage of the 1997 Reef Classic, Uruguay's first international professional contest, was broadcast across the country.

By 2012, there were approximately 3,000 native surfers in Uruguay, along with a handful of surf camps, about 20 surf shops, and a small number of surf-related manufacturing outfits, including Flesh, one of South America's leading wetsuit manufacturers. 

, the country's first surf magazine, has been publishing since 1997. The Uruguay Surf Union has sent a national team to international surf competitions since 1993. Marco Giorgi, the best-known Uruguayan-born pro surfer, competes on the World Qualifying Series, and was rated as high as #40 in the world in 2010.

Uruguay

Subscribe or Login

Encyclopedia of Surfing

Encyclopedia of Surfing