Fun Brazillian Twist on Sledding

Skibunda is a Portuguese word that means “butt skiing” and it’s as much fun to do as it is to say. This popular tourist activity is unique to areas with dunes and water. Often it is an attraction offered along with dune buggy rides, since you can then drive to the dune where the skibunda is done.

Simply put, you ride down the side of a huge sand dune on a wooden board into a lake. The ride is thrilling and the water feels great during a hot Brazilian day. There are skibunda stations run by locals and they charge a small fee to rent the boards.

The boards are much narrower than sleds and are greased on the bottom. Depending on the kind of thrill you are looking for, you can sit down or try to stand on it like a surfboard. It takes some patience and some balance to make it all the way, depending on how steep the dune is and how sharply it drops into the water.

Getting back to the top to try again gave me enough exercise to last a week. Different places have different systems, often involving ropes or tires set into the sand. By the time you get up again you’re ready to fly back down to the cool water.

My love of skibunda was proved when I slipped on the stairs at a Recife cultural exhibit and slid down to the street on my butt. All my friends said I just couldn’t get enough of the butt skiing.