Molokabra 2024: Discover the Ceará Downwinds with SUP Pioneer Alex Araujo

Get ready for the 2024 Molokabra, Brazil’s premier multi-craft downwind championship in Fortaleza! This is your chance to meet a true legend of Brazilian SUP Racing: Alex Araujo, a pioneer of long-distance paddling in Brazil and a trailblazer in downwind paddling across the state of Ceará’s challenging waters. With nine Brazilian SUP Race titles, he’s one of the most seasoned athletes in the SUP Race circuit and has represented Brazil in two ISA World Championships. Beyond his athletic achievements, Alex co-founded ASUPCE, one of Brazil’s first SUP associations, and is a key editor of Paddle News, a leading media site dedicated to ocean paddle sports in Brazil. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with a historic figure in the sport and be part of an incredible event following TotalSUP’s social media pages from August 27 to September 8!

Olá Alex, can you start by telling us how you started engaging in water sports?

Hello Mathieu ! I started surfing in 1980. I’ve always been passionate about the adventurous and laid-back lifestyle of the surf tribe.

When did your work with surfing begin?

I was always obsessed with surf culture, like everyone in my generation. What drove us was the opportunity to travel and discover new spots. The problem was that money was tight, so we did whatever we could to save up and travel. In 1990, I created the first surfboard repair kit in Brazil, called Wipe Out. The logo was inspired by the famous Hawaiian sign with a little guy wiping out. The kit was quite successful in Brazil, and soon we were selling it nationwide. However, as soon as we made some money, the desire to explore the waves around the world took precedence over the entrepreneurial spirit of that 16-year-old kid.

How and when did you start working in internet and surf media?

In 1994, after being away from Brazil for a while, I saw that the internet was booming and various projects were being developed worldwide. That same year, I founded Teksites, a company specializing in information technology and website development. We worked on projects in various fields, but in 1996, we fully immersed ourselves in surf and surf forecasting projects.

At Surfreporter and Camerasurf, alongside the Burguette brothers, Tomás and Alberto, who were already experts in the field, we did significant work in the digital media that was just beginning at that time. For many years, we were market leaders in this segment, setting the standards and being a reference for wave forecasting and surf news in Brazil.

When did you start with SUP?

In 2008, I had my first contact with Stand-Up Paddleboarding, but it was in 2009, with the support of my friend Flávio Ramalho, that I fully immersed myself in the sport. Living in Ceará, I had the opportunity to refine and hone my paddling technique in the challenging waters of the state.

What about the Brazilian SUP Race circuit?

In 2011, ABASUP, which is now CBSUP, launched the first stage in Osório. At that moment, I started a training plan with Walter Cortez to prepare for the circuit. This first stage was very memorable for me. Despite nine hours of flying and then another two hours by car, without sleeping or eating, I had a good performance, finishing among the top 7 in Brazil at that time.

Later that year, the circuit was in full swing, and I achieved excellent performances, becoming the Brazilian professional vice-champion for that year. Looking back after all these years, I see that I managed to make my mark in the sport—after all, nine Brazilian titles is not something just anyone achieves.

You also competed and represented Brazil at the ISAWorld SUP & Paddleboard Championships? How was it competing at a time when international competitors were far ahead in terms of equipment?

In 2011, we went with a great team: me, Animal, Torelly on the paddleboard, and Babi Brasil in the women’s race, among other athletes. I remember chatting with Jamie Mitchell and taking a look at his board. I was impressed by its weight—it was 9 kilos, while my Bark and Animal’s Naish were definitely closer to 20 kilos, haha. Anyway, participating in two world championships with the Brazilian team was one of the greatest experiences of my life. The vibe was really cool.

A notable moment from our 2011 participation was when, during the course briefing, the organizers presented a route that, when I looked at it, I knew was not just 20 km as they proposed. We complained, but most didn’t believe us. The next day, Animal, Torelly, and I took a taxi to check out the course. To our surprise, the route was not only challenging in the sea but even worse on land. Our taxi encountered a situation near Calhau that resembled a South American Sarajevo, with walls full of bullet holes. Seeing the fear on the taxi driver’s face, I asked where we were. He replied, “We need to leave here as soon as possible if you don’t want to be robbed or even killed.” I immediately became a mechanic and tow truck driver, and luckily, the car started, and we got out of that situation unharmed.

When we arrived at the water departure point, the location wasn’t marked. To give you an idea, just reaching the buoy, which was almost 8 km from the coast, was a struggle. And there were still about 30 km ahead, full of jellyfish that looked like enormous kitchen table lids. I had never seen such huge creatures in my life. Torelly, who was paddling a paddleboard, struggled a lot to paddle to our final destination, Miraflores. After this venture, we protested, and the route was changed. We earned the respect of several athletes and officials. Imagine that they were so unprepared that they wanted to do this route with only 2 support jet skis.

How did you start long-distance paddling?

I’ve always had good physical performance in endurance sports, and SUP was no different.

My first crossing was in Tocantins, a 70 km route non-stop. Then came the crossings of Lake Paranoá, again with my friend Marcos Gorayeb, where I broke the record for non-stop distance paddling, still the only athlete to paddle the entire 90 km length of the lake in 9 hours non-stop. After that, I went to Peru to set a record with my friend Rodrigo Gamarra, paddling 50 km non-stop from San Bartolo to Miraflores, on a day of giant swell on the coast. Back in Brazil, I paddled 140 km non-stop from Fortaleza to Mundaú, setting the national and South American record for non-stop open sea paddling. My latest adventure was with my friend Pablo Casado, where in 4 days, we paddled over 400 km from Sesc in Manaus to Parintins Island.

How did downwind paddling start in Fortaleza?

In 2011, I began adventures in the waters of Ceará. My first crossing was from Iguape to Fortaleza, a distance of over 40 km. I embarked alone and arrived in Fortaleza at Praia do Náutico 5 hours later. After that, I did the entire east coast and a large part of the west coast, being a pioneer in crossings at spots now recognized as Cumbuco, Pecém, Taíba, and Paracuru. I did all these routes alone, departing from Beira Mar in Fortaleza without any support. Today, major events are held in these areas due to my initiative.

Tell us a bit about how you discovered the routes in Ceará:

Shortly after the first crossing, I began exploring the coast of Ceará. Out of the 573 km of Ceará’s coastline, I’ve paddled 480 km. I explored the routes, always starting from Fortaleza. I did Fortaleza to Cumbuco 30 km, Pecém 42 km, Taíba 60 km, and Paracuru 82 km.

How did you achieve the South American and Brazilian open sea distance record?

This endeavor was well-planned. The goal was to paddle from Fortaleza to Jericoacoara, 330 km non-stop, but due to an unforeseen issue with a team member on the boat, I had to abort the mission when I was 140 km into the challenge, near the city of Mundaú.

The Brazilian and South American record for non-stop distance paddling in sheltered waters was set on Lake Paranoá in Brasília. I paddled 90 km non-stop, covering the entire length of the lake.

Thank you to TotaSUP for the opportunity and welcome to Ceará to experience the classic conditions of Molokabra Downwind live.

Get ready for the 2024 Molokabra!
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