Two years ago the young Brazilian windsurf talent Marcilio Browne was the hottest newcomer on the international windsurfing market with several of the major brands locked in battle to sign him up for their pro teams. Known as “Brawzinho” to his friends, this gifted teenager ticked all the boxes as a future world champion contender…extreme talent, youth and tonnes of enthusiasm.

It was famous windsurf brand Mistral which managed to entice Brawzinho onboard and by the end of the thrilling 2007 season of the PWA world tour the managers at Mistral had already seen a handsome return on their investments. Raising his game on the freestyle tour the at this time eighteen years old scooped a surprise world title.

2008 Brawzinho is ranked second in the freestyle discipline and fourth in the men’s wave competition, right before the final world cup event of the tour: The PWA Super Grand Slam on Germany’s northern island of Sylt. Let’s have a closer look at this young Brazilian who is on his way to conquer the windsurfing world.

Windsurfing seems to be hereditable
Marcilio Browne was born in Fortaleza, not only one of the major cities of the country but probably the windiest place in Brazil. He started windsurfing when he was only four years old! His father and uncle are former Brazilian windsurfing champions, a fact, which of course influenced Brawzinho’s career. So it’s not surprising that Marcilio’s younger brother Gabriel is also a pro windsurfer and multiple Brazilian and South American champion in the youth and junior racing disciplines. In the meantime Brawzinho became one of the world’s top five ranked sailors, competing in both disciplines waves and freestyle.

Making Deals
Looking back on his step in the spotlight of the international windsurf circus Brawzinho says: “When I signed for Mistral I was in a great position. A few companies were interested in me. This sponsorship was a huge step for me. Now I have unbelievable boards and have already been working on new shapes with the R&D team. It really helps to know what board you need for all the different conditions. That is what can make the difference between winning and losing.”

Just a Matter of Time
There was no doubt in the executive floors of the major companies that Marcilio brings all the ingredients to become the next windsurfing superstar. Donald Scholz, at this time responsible brand manager at Mistral’s headquarters near Munich said: “Our brand brought up windsurf legends like Robby Naish, the Moreno Twins and many other successful riders. In the last years we were struggling so it was time to change. We needed some new fresh blood. For us it was important that we can grow with the young riders, and not just buy an existing hero. And therefore Marcilio fitted perfectly into our team. Give him some time and he will be top in freestyle and also in waves. It is only a question of time”.

Dynamics in Freestyle
The level in the freestyle discipline has gone through the roof over the past three years and Brawzinho is right up there at the cutting edge with all the new manoeuvres.

“There are always new moves coming out. The thing that makes a big difference in the competition is being consistent at the moves”, explains Marcilio. “You don’t necessarily have to be the best sailor to win. But you need to sail smart and nail all of your consistent manoeuvres. I don’t ever look at what the other guy in the heat is doing…that can put you off and ruin your own rhythm. Of course, if you are sailing against one of the top competitors, then for sure you have to go for it a bit more than normal”, he says.

The Top Freestylers
Regarding the top sailors in the freestyle discipline Brawzinho summarizes: “I think Jose “Gollito” Estredo from Venezuela, freestyle world champion 2006, is still the best freestyler in the world. But even the best guys occasionally have a slightly bad heat. When I won against Gollito in Fuerteventura last year, I had one of the best heats of my life.”

“The level now is off the scale. Just to watch Gollito and Ricardo Campello (three times freestyle world champion, also born in Brazil but sailing under Venezuelan flag) free sailing is mind-blowing. Some of the moves and combinations that Kiri Thode from Bonaire does I don’t even understand. Gollito is very powerful but in my opinion Ricardo has still the best style. His moves are very fluid and powerful. The level of freestyle is so high that any of the top twenty guys can win an event.”

Freestyle - First World Title
After two thrilling events in the Canary Islands the 2007 PWA freestyle tour was decided in the unlikely location of Sylt Germany. Coming into the event young Kiri Thode of Bonaire was leading the rankings but a bunch of upsets in the single elimination meant any one of five sailors could take the title depending on the outcome of the double elimination. On a dark, cold, rainy evening Kiri, was beaten by Anthony Ruenes (FRA) and suddenly the door was open for Brawzinho to clinch the title.

Cold, dark and rainy
“It was a weird atmosphere on the beach this day, dark, cold and raining. But I was so nervous that I could not feel the cold”, Brawzinho remembers. “I knew that to make first position I needed to win at least two heats in the double elimination. I was freaking out thinking about all the important points. In the heats then I just tried to block that out and just sail. Thank God everything went ok and I made it through. That moment when I won the heat against Ricardo Campello was amazing. I knew I had done enough to put me in first place overall. Since I started windsurfing I only ever dreamed to become a world champion.”

The Level in the Waves
Having fixed his name in the list of the PWA freestyle world champions, Marcilio is now entering the next discipline: waveriding. There has never been a tougher time to make it to the very top in the wave discipline.

“Last year I think my friend Kauli Seadi (BRA), the reigning wave world champion, and Victor Fernandez (ESP) have been amazing. These guys are the new generation in the waves. One should of cause not forget the routiniers, but to beat those guys you have got to be really on form. Victor is so consistent. Every single move he does he lands perfectly. And he is stylish, too. Kauli revolutionized the discipline by bringing all the insane freestyle manoeuvres in the waves. I think Kauli is a bit ahead at wave riding. Victor is amazing in the air. His double loops this year in Gran Canaria, Spain were insane. The level is so high. I am trying to keep with it.”

Being the Best means to win in any Conditions
Being a good sailor is one thing but being a top competitor in windsurfing’s crown jewel, the wave discipline, means to be top in all conditions where ever on the globe, whether there is light or strong winds, small or big waves, warm or cold weather. Marcilio says: “I always go to the events a long time before so I can practise the conditions. I work hard on tuning my equipment and so try to be well prepared when the first heat of the competition starts”.

Brazilian Art of Surfing
With Brawzinho and Kauli both respective world champions in freestyle and wave, the prominence of Brazilian windsurfing has never been in such good shape. Kauli was the first Brazilian to make huge inroads into the PWA circuit but at nineteen years of age Brawzinho is not so far behind.

Kauli Seadi – the One to beat
“Me and Kauli we know each other for many years. He has taught me a lot, has shown me how to compete and how to choose the right equipment. He really pushed wave sailing forwards the last few years. His style is different to everybody else’s. He sails like the surfers - like Kelly Slater. I think he is pretty much unbeatable at the moment. Kauli was my idol since I’m twelve years old, and he still is! Not because he is my friend but because I love his approach to sailing. I don’t try to copy him but I look up to him.”

A growing National Team Brazil
“I am nineteen now and this is my second full year on tour. I still have a long way to go. There are quite a few guys coming from Brazil at the moment and joining the tour. Hopefully when the guys see what Kauli and I have achieved then they will be motivated to take the chance like we did. My brother Gabriel is a racer and already competed at some events this year. He is only seventeen and did not get any really good results yet but he is young and keen to learn so I think he will do well, too.”

What does Kauli Seadi think of Marcilio?
“First I met Marcilio’s father at a windsurf competition. He was one of the best Brazilian sailors, so we knew each other. A year later I met Brawzinho. He was very young at this time, a little kid but he was already ripping. You could see he was crazy about the sport, like his entire family. For me he is a really talented sailor. To sail that well in freestyle and waves is tough. There are not many other sailors that can focus on two disciplines. In freestyle he proved to be the best in the world last year, let’s see what he can do in the waves”, Kauli says.

Home sweet Home
Despite travelling the world to all the top locations Marcilio loves nothing better than to be at his home spot of Fortelaza, Brazil where he can sail just for fun with his family and friends.

“I really love my home spot. All my friends there are windsurfers. When I am home I always sail with my dad, my uncle and my brother. The conditions are great and famous windsurf spots like Jericoacoara are just three and a half hours away. I sail there quite a lot especially for the freestyle training.”

“For the last two years I have been down to Kauli’s place in Ibiraquera for one month every year. He has a lot of different conditions down there. When there is no wind we go tow-in surfing with Kauli’s jet ski. They get some pretty fun waves sometimes. We are always doing something in the water.”

Future Perspectives
With a world title already under his belt a certain element of the pressure is off and Marcilio can now really put his foot on the gas and focus on his all round performance. At only nineteen years of age the future is bright for this young windsurfer. Without doubt “Brawzinho” is a name that is going to be around for a long time to come and feature heavily in this exciting new era of competitive windsurfing.