Central do Brasil: Risky “Sport”

Abstract

The article explores practices developed by the passengers of “Central do Brasil” railway station, who used to travel hanging on to the outside of the trains and even on their roofs. The focus of the study is on the span between the fifties and eighties of the last century. The practice was initially used due to the needs of overcoming overcrowded trains and not being late for work but - over time has, gained autonomy against the imperative that determined it, taking on new motivations. During the sixties, the practice met the dual need to satisfy the desire for leisure and to express the sense of outrage of the penniless youth from Rio de Janeiro suburbs. In this sense, the article also highlights the practice of these self-appointed train surfers, placing it in the contrasting framework established with the art of sea surfers, and, at the same time, mimicked, emulated and hierarchized by young people who, on the train tracks, challenged their death.