Economic crisis leaves Brazil's top surfers without sponsors

Rio de Janeiro, July 18: The financial crisis buffeting Brazil has left numerous athletes without sponsors, including surfers. Brazil's current crop of top surfers, one of its most successful generations, has not escaped the effects of recession.

Brazilian surfers are facing increasing difficulties in finding sponsors to cover the high costs of the global circuit, reports Xinhua news agency.

In order to travel around the world during the season, to transport surfing boards and pay for room and board, surfers pay an average of 40,000 reais ($12,252) on average for every stage of the tour, amounting to 440,000 reais ($122,476) in total for 11 stages, according to TV station SporTV on Monday.

Miguel Pupo is one of the athletes who has suffered of late. "The league takes 20 to 30 days to pay the prizes and this can affect our travelling," he said in an interview with SporTV, after losing his sponsorship with Hurley International.

Pupo said the company did not renew his sponsorship contract due to the economic crisis in Brazil.

Sponsors usually pay surfers between 8,000-15,000 reais ($2,440-4,600 a month) for their brands appearing on the edge of the board, or 30,000-50,000 reais ($9,200-15,300) a month for the logos to appear on the tip of the board.

SporTV reported that Adriano de Souza, the 2015 World Surf League Champion, has also suffered, with two Brazilian investors stopping their sponsorships and two others reducing their contributions.