‘Kite fighting’ so dangerous and deadly, Brazil considers national ban

Aug 21

Karah Rucker Anchor

By Karah Rucker (Anchor), Shea Taylor (Producer), Zachary Hill (Video Editor)

While it may not be commonly heard of in the U.S., in Brazil, kite fighting has become so dangerous the government is considering a nationwide ban. Yes, kites — think the colorful, paper or plastic toys seen soaring through the sky on a breezy day, only deadlier.

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Players use sharp-edged kite lines, known as “cerol” in Portuguese, to slash their opponents’ lines and rip their kites from the sky. The popular pastime is recognized as having cultural and historical heritage in Rio de Janeiro. Unfortunately, it’s also known to cause injuries and even deaths.

Private security guard Leonardo Duraes shows an image of his face after he was cut with a kite string while riding his motorcycle in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024. Source: AP Images.

The lines are already outlawed in some of the more populous areas of Brazil, including Rio, but that doesn’t stop people from using them anyway.

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While kite fighting competitions are held safely in designated areas in countries like France and Chile, in Brazil, it’s widespread and unregulated — and has been particularly dangerous on highways, where motorists can’t always see them stretched across the lanes.

So many accidents have been caused over the years that motorcyclists take precautionary measures by attaching thin posts fitted with razors to their bikes. These are able to cut through fallen kite lines. In fact, the company that oversees one of Rio’s busiest highways regularly hands the devices out to motorcyclists.

Private security guard Leonardo Duraes, who was cut on his chin by a kite string while riding his motorcycle, poses for a photo in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024. Source: AP Images.

The nation every year still sees multiple cases of Brazilian motorcyclists with severed limbs or slit throats — and the federal government is considering a ban on these cerol lines altogether. A law to do just that has already passed in Brazilian Congress and is now up for a Senate vote.

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Kite fighters do everything they can to bring down the kites of their opponents — including using strings doused with wax, or sharp materials like glass or quartz, which turn kite lines into razors. 🪁 Banned in Brazil, black-market kite lines are thriving on TikTok and Instagram. #kitefighting #tech #brazil
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Brazil’s government doesn’t have any official data on the number of injuries and deaths caused by the razor-sharp lines nationwide. However, one nonprofit that runs a hotline for crime victims says since 2019 there were more than 2,800 reports of illegal use of the lines in Rio alone. The lines are not completely banned there — kite fights can be legally held in certain designated areas that are far from roads and highways or people’s homes.

State laws over these cutting lines are different across Brazil, with some areas banning them completely. It remains to be seen if that will become the nationwide standard.

Tags: Chile, Traffic safety, Health, Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Crime, France

Karah Rucker

YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE HEARD OF IT HERE IN THE U-S – BUT IN BRAZIL, KITE FIGHTING HAS BECOME SO DANGEROUS… THE GOVERNMENT IS CONSIDERING A NATIONWIDE BAN.

YES, I SAID *KITE* FIGHTING – THINK THE COLORFUL, PAPER OR PLASTIC TOYS YOU SEE SOARING THROUGH THE SKY ON A BREEZY DAY… ONLY DEADLIER.

PLAYERS USE SHARP-EDGED KITE LINES – KNOWN AS “CEROL”(SAIR-uhl) IN PORTUGUESE – TO SLASH THEIR OPPONENTS’ LINES AND RIP THEIR KITES FROM THE SKY.

THE POPULAR PASTIME IS RECOGNIZED AS HAVING CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL HERITAGE IN RIO DE JANEIRO… AND IT’S BEEN KNOWN TO CAUSE HORRIFIC INJURIES AND EVEN DEATHS.

THE LINES ARE ALREADY OUTLAWED IN SOME OF THE MORE POPULOUS AREAS OF BRAZIL – INCLUDING RIO – BUT THAT DOESN’T STOP PEOPLE FROM USING THEM ANYWAY.

WHILE KITE-FIGHTING COMPETITIONS ARE HELD SAFELY IN DESIGNATED AREAS IN COUNTRIES LIKE FRANCE AND CHILE… IN BRAZIL – IT’S WIDESPREAD AND UNREGULATED… AND HAS BEEN PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS ON HIGHWAYS, WHERE MOTORISTS CAN’T ALWAYS SEE THEM STRETCHED ACROSS THE LANES.

THAT EXACT SCENARIO HAS CAUSED SO MANY ACCIDENTS OVER THE YEARS – THAT MOTORCYCLISTS ATTACH THIN, ANTENNA-LIKE POSTS WITH RAZORS ON THEM TO THEIR BIKES TO CUT THROUGH WAYWARD KITE LINES.

IN FACT – THE COMPANY THAT OVERSEES ONE OF RIO’S BUSIEST HIGHWAYS REGULARLY HANDS THE DEVICES OUT TO MOTORCYCLISTS.

STILL THOUGH, THE NATION EVERY YEAR SEES MULTIPLE CASES OF BRAZILIAN MOTORCYCLISTS WITH SEVERED LIMBS OR SLIT THROATS – AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS CONSIDERING A BAN ON THESE “CEROL” (SAIR-uhl) LINES ALTOGETHER.

A LAW TO DO JUST THAT HAS ALREADY PASSED IN BRAZILIAN CONGRESS – NOW IT’S UP FOR A SENATE VOTE.

BRAZIL’S GOVERNMENT DOESN’T HAVE ANY OFFICIAL DATA ON THE NUMBER OF INJURIES AND DEATHS CAUSED BY THE RAZOR-SHARP LINES NATIONWIDE… NATIONWIDE CAUSED BY CUTTING LINES. HOWEVER, ONE NONPROFIT THAT RUNS A HOTLINE FOR CRIME VICTIMS SAYS SINCE 20-19 – THERE HAVE BEEN MORE THAN 28-HUNDRED REPORTS OF ILLEGAL USE OF THE LINES IN RIO ALONE.

THE LINES ARE *NOT* COMPLETELY BANNED THERE – KITE FIGHTS CAN BE LEGALLY HELD IN CERTAIN DESIGNATED AREAS THAT ARE FAR FROM ROADS AND HIGHWAYS OR PEOPLE’S HOMES.

HOWEVER, STATE LAWS OVER THESE CUTTING LINES ARE DIFFERENT ALL ACROSS BRAZIL – WITH SOME AREAS BANNING THEM COMPLETELY.

IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN IF THAT WILL BECOME THE NATIONWIDE STANDARD.