O kitesurf em Barra Grande, município de Cajueiro da Praia – Piauí-PI, Brasil, entre 2000 e 2024: bons ventos para velejar

Abstract

Kitesurfing is a water sport in which the practitioner uses a board and a kite to glide over the water, performing maneuvers such as spins and jumps. Although it has become popular in Brazil and worldwide, historical research on the sport is still scarce, especially in places like Barra Grande, in the municipality of Cajueiro da Praia, on the coast of Piauí. Considering this reality, this research, with a historiographical approach, aims to investigate the constitution and rooting of kitesurfing in Barra Grande, between 2000 and 2024. Specifically, it aims to: understand when and how kitesurfing occurred in the socio-historical context of Barra Grande; investigate how kitesurfing came to be organized and developed in the village, and what were the factors that contributed to its establishment; identify and analyze the main factors that contributed to the process of taking root in kitesurfing in Barra Grande and the appreciation of the beach space over the last few decades; examine the implications of kitesurfing in Barra Grande, related to local residents, tourism and nature; highlight how Barra Grande is currently configured, given the constitution and rooting of kitesurfing in the village; explain how the natural characteristics of Barra Grande, including the local landscape and trade winds, contribute to the practice of kitesurfing in the region. To this end, different methodological strategies were used, such as the integrative review of literature on kitesurfing, through the Periodical Portal of the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (Capes) and the Capes Catalog of Theses and Dissertations database; field research, with 20 semi-structured interviews with local residents, tourism entrepreneurs and kitesurfers, in addition to direct observation in Barra Grande; and documentary research, carried out on Piauí news websites. The results showed that the constitution of kitesurfing in Barra Grande is characterized by the arrival of the sport and the beginning of its consolidation, between 2000 and 2007, an essential period for the formation of the first practices and manifestations of the sport, as well as for the emergence of conflicts related to its practice. Local tourism began to gain notoriety due to kitesurfing, whose taking root, between 2008 and 2024, marked the popularization and consolidation of the sport in local culture, with several demonstrations organized by tourists and residents, under the organization of tourism entrepreneurs, natives and others involved. This process led Barra Grande to establish itself as a tourist destination recognized nationally and internationally for those who practice the sport. Thus, this research allowed us to understand how a small fishing village, traditionally linked to fishing and commerce, became valued by the flow of kitesurfers from different parts of Brazil and the world. This process integrated Barra Grande into the valorization of coastal spaces, transforming it into a popular tourist destination, considering leisure practices, with an emphasis on kitesurfing, and the continuous increase in the number of tourists, both local and international, interested in this sport.