Brazilian Surfer Wipes Out as Rio Customs Seizes Boards
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Brazil’s most famous surfer lost his first heat at Rio de Janeiro’s biggest contest after his boards were seized at the airport in the latest example of an athlete running afoul of the country’s customs rules.
Adriano de Souza, who is ranked sixth in the world and has Oakley, Red Bull GmbH and Skullcandy Inc. among his sponsors, left Rio’s airport empty-handed yesterday after refusing to pay taxes on the seven boards he uses in competition. De Souza, surfing on backup boards, lost to Portugal’s Tiago Pires and needs to win in the second round or be eliminated from the contest.