The city of Rio de Janeiro has undergone major changes throughout its history. Changes that occurred mainly to facilitate real estate speculation. There are, however, groups that participated in the construction of the city that have a particular narrative about these changes and can contribute to presenting other perspectives on the occupation of the city. The research shows the history of the seashore in the city of Rio de Janeiro from the narrative of surfers. The experience of this group shows how the lived knowledge of groups that witnessed the changes that occurred in the city throughout history can help technical-scientific knowledge in political decisions for the construction and occupation of the territory in the search for a logic that values the different aspects social, cultural and environmental. The ethnographic method was used through questionnaires and interviews aimed at surfers and other social actors allied to the historical and documentary rescue of the works that took place on the edge of the city. It was clear the political role that surfers played in the occupation of the city s edge as it currently is, being important social agents in the environmental preservation of beaches and the quality of waves. It is important that the impact on surfability is taken into account in the Environmental Impact Studies and Reports of the works carried out on the seashore and that there may be projects and laws that preserve the Environment and the quality of waves on Brazilian beaches, as has been happening in several places in the world, as this involves important social and economic aspects in places where there are good quality waves for surfing.