PíerdeIpanema

It was meant to be nothing more than the remnants of work on a submarine outfall, which would carry sewage from the wealthy neighborhoods to be dumped out at sea. But, by an ironic twist of fate, the iron and wood structure built to protect the pipeline, which came to divide Ipanema beach in two, turned into an oasis of counterculture, representing one of the most striking avant-garde experiences in our city's history.

Image description: This is a black and white photograph of a beach with a pier in the background. On the left side, we see a rocky mountain. In the center, there is a pier with a metal structure and pillars supporting the bridge. On the right, there is also a rocky mountain. In the foreground, we see ocean waves, with a person surfing, gliding along one of the waves.

It all began in 1971, when the works on the sewage outfall changed the morphology of the ground and, with that, also affected the waves, which started attracting more and more surfers. Soon, the stretch of sand near Teixeira de Melo street became a point with the features of a great hippie party, fueled by psychedelic experiences and the camaraderie of young artists. It so happens that, besides the appeal of the waves, the stretch of sand turned construction site became a no man's land, not very inviting to families and more conservative beachgoers. Thus, it was the most fitting environment, in times of repression, to become an unlikely space of freedom. A place described by its regulars as "utopian" and "magical," which soon drew society's ire. "Desbunde" is a slang term of the era widely used to describe the atmosphere of irreverence and sexual freedom that pervaded the spirit of the place.

Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of three people surfing at the beach. From left to right, the first person is standing on the board, holding their balance with outstretched arms. The second person is also standing, but with a more dynamic movement, possibly turning the board. The third person is sitting on the board, with arms outstretched to maintain balance. Everyone is in the water, with waves in the background.

The pier was also known as the “dunas do barato” (dunes of getting high) or “areias da Gal” (Gal's sands). Besides the singer, who lived nearby, the dunes were frequented by people like Cazuza, Waly Salomão, Jards Macalé, the Asdrubal Trouxe o Trombone crew, Jorge Mautner, and Rose di Primo, the inventor of the “cortininha” bikini. Caetano Veloso, back from exile, immortalized in the song Menino do Rio one of its most regular visitors, Petit, the “muse” of those sands.