| If you have been to a beach in Rio de Janeiro | | | | important to keep a firm wrist on both the |
| you probably have noticed that the bouncing | | | | forehand and backhand side. Most of the work |
| sound of that rubber ball has been taken to | | | | should be done in the shoulder. You should use |
| another level. In Brazil it's called frescoball and it is | | | | your entire arm without bending the wrist and |
| one of the sports that the city claims was | | | | with minimal flexing of the elbow to maintain |
| invented here. Although that claim is debatable, it's | | | | control. Aim to get the ball back to your partner |
| not debatable that this is one the best beach | | | | slightly away from the body to the preferred side |
| activities that exists. | | | | (usually the forehand side) above the knees and |
| Resting for the restless | | | | under the shoulders. Sometimes you see one |
| I'm one of those people that gets restless sitting | | | | defensive player acting like a backboard playing |
| still. Hours and hours on the beach doing nothing | | | | with an attacker player drilling the ball at him. It |
| doesn't work for me. I wish it did but it doesn't. If | | | | looks a bit like a professional table tennis match |
| the waves are good I can do a bit of body | | | | but there is one big difference: rather than being |
| surfing but sometimes the waves are too small, | | | | competitive it´s teamwork. You can also |
| too big or the currents are too strong. There's no | | | | play two (or even three) against one. This is |
| lack of vollyball on the beaches of Rio but the | | | | slightly more difficult for the solo player since he |
| problem here is finding an availible net as well as | | | | has to find a rhythm hitting at different angles. |
| enough friends to make for an interesting game. | | | | Equipment |
| For me, the ultimate beach activity is "fresco". All | | | | Fresco paddles can range from relatively cheap |
| you need are two small paddles, a rubberball and | | | | (less than 10 US$) to very expensive (75+ US$). |
| someone to play with and you are good to go. | | | | But price should not be the determining factor. |
| It´s a game with no points and no winners. | | | | You should buy the paddle considering what feels |
| Yet there is a sense of competing together with | | | | best as there is a variety of materials and shapes. |
| your partner against the chaotic universe of ball | | | | For me, the most important factor is weight. I |
| bouincing elements. The goal being to reach a | | | | prefer paddles that are made out of hard |
| steady rally back and forth. A steady rally that I | | | | materials like fiberglass, hardwood or even |
| am willing to call meditative or theuraputic. | | | | aluminium. The thick rackets made of softwood |
| The aim of the game | | | | make me feel like I am playing with a piece of |
| Fresco is a game for everyone. There are some | | | | firewood. Yet some prefer this heavy firewood |
| players that may have more skill and experience | | | | feel so choose what feels right. The ball? Choose |
| than others. However, it's fun no matter who is | | | | the most expensive one to get a lot more |
| playing with who. You can just goof around or | | | | bounce and control. The cheaper ones are about |
| play more serious on a regular basis. It's easy to | | | | 2 or 3 US$ and the more expensive 5 or 6 US$. |
| pick up. In my experience it can take as little as | | | | The balls will lose a bit of zing over time but since |
| 15 or 20 minutes for a fresco virgin to get | | | | they last a year or two its worth buying the |
| accustomed to the basic physics and to develop | | | | quality. |
| decent rallies. After just a few hours you will | | | | Meditative |
| have improved your game drastically. The object | | | | It may take some time to get those long rallies |
| is basically to get the best rhythm going. With | | | | going but it will happen. And when it does its |
| practice you can experiment with hitting the ball | | | | excellent. It's like you are completely absorbed by |
| with more pace or increasing the distance | | | | the ball going back and forth as if on a string. You |
| between you and your opponent. Its all about | | | | lose awareness that you are actually hitting the |
| getting the ball back to your opponent in such a | | | | ball, it just happens. A great Zen master might |
| position that they can hit it back to you. | | | | say that "you become the ball". But even without |
| Technique | | | | the transcendency it's a fun and healthy activity |
| Like a volley stroke in tennis, you need to think of | | | | for a beautiful beach on a sunny day, or even a |
| hitting the ball like a punch more than a swing. Its | | | | cloudy one. |