From sea bathing to sports on beaches and sea areas

Abstract

This article aims to understand the sociocultural appreciation of coastal spaces in the tropics from the perspective of conventional modern maritime practices. Starting with therapeutic and recreational activities on the beaches and sea areas, such as Sea Baths and Sun Bathing, this study includes an analysis of contemporary sporting, aquatic and nautical recreation, with aspecific emphasis on kitesurfing. The methodological approach uses a database and fieldwork carried out by the Coastal and Leisure Urbanization Research Group of the Urban and Regional Planning Laboratory of the Federal University of Ceará. The understanding is multiscalar, and the theoretical assumptions are associated with urban geography and leisure. The two main developments are first, nautical sports, especially kitesurfing, which is the newest variable for the incorporation and modernization of the beach in the tropics. The second is the formation of a global phenomenon materialized significantly in different contexts, such as the Northeast of Brazil and the coast of Ceará, in particular.

Keywords:
urbanization; kitesurfing; tropics; nautical sports; Northeast of Brazil