an antidote to winter

Need a little something to take your mind off the wet and cold of February? Here's Francesco Zizola's take on beach culture in Rio de Janiero:

The beach plays a big part in the minds of the people in Rio de Janeiro. It's not merely a place to absorb the sun's ray. It's a social circus, an important venue for sports and even business dealings. It's a people-watcher's paradise.

t's not easy for a casual visitor to understand the complex beach culture in Rio, but with a keen eye it is possible to pick out the different cliques and crowds that inhabit the acres of sand, that change according to the time of day or the day of the week.

Every beach in Rio is a scene for fashion and trends. Also people from the "favelas" reach the beach with their surfboard. Surfing is a very popular sport for "cariocas", although they don't have the best waves for it. The whole concept of catching waves and hanging out on the beach is a perfect fit with their mentality, based on the art of flirting and the joy of living.

More images from Zizola's Rio project are here. His website is here.