it became a landmark in the late 1960's, when local singers, artists, intellectuals, and young politicians used to gather here and discuss and develop tropicalismo, an avant-garde artistic and  cultural movement counter posing the strict brazilian military regime of that period.

described as 'cocktail parties without the ashtrays', these gathering all took place on the sand, but rigorously standing up.

yet, while ipanema became famous in the past as a place of intellectual revolution, transgression, and irreverence, today the beach is a symbol for heath, beauty, and athletic form. 

crowds at posto 9 love the beach, but experience it more as a social environment than anything else.