In the summer, cariocas’ passion for sport becomes more evident than ever and Rio de Janeiro transforms into an open-air sports arena. The city’s beaches, with their wide expenses of sand, broad sidewalks and cycle lanes, attract many thousands of people to exercise on weekends.

Copacabana and Barra da Tijuca, planned venues for Rio 2016, as well as Ipanema, are among the most popular beaches for sports. These sands have given rise to sports that are now played in many parts of the world.

One of the most popular sports at the moment in Rio is “altinha,” or “keep up.” Typically, four or five friends get together in a circle, or roda, and try to keep a football in the air without letting it hit the sand, without using their arms or hands. At Posto 9, a fashionable part of Ipanema Beach, various rodas can be seen every day.

Júlio Gonçalves, who often goes to Posto 9, has been playing altinha since 1997. “I love going to the beach because I can play sports like altinha and footvolley, as well as meeting people from everywhere,” he explained.

Beach volley, an Olympic sport since 1996, is played by many cariocas. It is not by chance that Brazil did well in this sport at the Beijing Olympic Games, winning a gold, silver and bronze medals. All along Rio’s beachfront, volleyball nets fill up with players, especially in the afternoon when the sun is less strong. Rio de Janeiro’s beaches have held various domestic and international championships, attracting large crowds of spectators.

The sands of Copacabana were the birthplace of frescobol. Created in the 1940s, this game rapidly won over many fans. Played with wooden rackets and a hollow rubber ball, the sport is played all along the carioca beachfront. Luna Yalom has played since she was a child and has taken part in championships as an adult. For her, one of the sport’s advantages is that it is cooperative rather than competitive, with no one player winning. “It’s an exercise you do without realizing. I really like the fact that you play it right at the edge of the sea,” explained the 25 year old, who regrets not having as much time to play as she used to.

A mixture of volleyball and football, footvolley rivals beach volleyball for domination of the nets. The principle is the same as for altinha: to use one’s feet, torso and head in order not to let the ball touch the sand. Originating on Copacabana Beach, the sport is played by many people in Brazil, including Romário, an ex-member of Brazil’s national football team, who likes to play in Barra da Tijuca.

Most people who play altinha also enjoy playing footvolley, as is the case with Júlio, who loves all beach sports. In his opinion, cariocas’ vocation for open-air sports makes the city an ideal location for the Olympic Games. “It will be great if Rio de Janeiro hosts the 2016 Olympic Games. It’ll be a chance for the whole world to get to know the city. Rio de Janeiro will be able to show that it is able to hold an event of this size,” he said. He also mentioned job creation and improvements to infrastructure as benefits arising from the Olympic Games. “Just like in South Africa, which will host the 2010 World Cup, the people’s quality of life will improve a lot,” he believes.