Spain’s Windsurfing Armada

Every year, thousands of windsurfing lovers from all over the world come to the beaches of Spain to practice windsurfing and to enjoy the consistent wind conditions and warm climate. Spain is also the country to host most of the windsurfing world cup competitions; thus, it is no surprise that their national team is highly competitive.

Innumerable Beaches and Surfspots
Bordering the Atlantic Ocean in the North and the Mediterranean Sea in the South, Spain’s mainland, the biggest part of the Iberian Peninsula, offers more than 3150 km of coastline. Including also the famous archipelagos of the Balearic and the Canary Islands, the number of beaches becomes nearly endless.

The Atlantic coast, especially the region of Galicia, the North-western part of Spain, offers conditions almost equal to those at the famous Region of Brittany in France. Strong low pressure winds and big Atlantic waves in winter, thermal winds and nice surfing conditions in summer make this area a highly diversified location for windsurfers.

The Mediterranean coast, especially the Costa Brava, 100km North of Barcelona, is an outstanding area for wind- and watersports. The Mistral and Tramontane winds might blow at any time of the year, and some good thermal winds refresh the air in summer. Famous for its cultural highlights, its gorgeous landscape and last but not least the beautiful beaches near the city, Barcelona not only comes up with world class soccer at the famous “Camp Nou” stadium but also offers a flashing nightlife. Barcelona is the second biggest city in Spain and a lot of windsurfing enthusiasts are living in this area. As a consequence, the Catalan windsurfing community is quite dynamic.

In Murcia, the Mar Menor offers ideal conditions for beginners. Here one can find gentle winds and a great variety of surf centers and schools. The main windsurfing spot of the famous Costa del Sol is Almeria, home of Spain’s best waverider Victor Fernandez. When the West wind is blowing there, you can expect a really stiff breeze and breathtaking high jump action in Almerimar.

Tarifa, on the Southern coast of the Spanish mainland, is known as the “European wind capital”, because of its excellent wind conditions generated by two competing winds: The Levante - from the East - very strong and consistent, and the Poniente – a western wind that usually brings good wave conditions. The climate is really nice, with moderate winters, and the untouched beaches are big enough to welcome thousands of windsurfers coming from Europe and the rest of the world. Some speed and freestyle pro events were held in this «High Wind Area», which is now a typical destination for the European Freestyle Pro Tour.

In the Balearic Islands, the wind is not as consistent as in Tarifa. However, the nice Mediterranean climate, the beautiful beaches, and all the tourist facilities make it a perfect place to learn windsurfing.

The European Hawaii
The Canary Islands are known as the European equivalent to Hawaii for surfing and windsurfing: perfect waves and almost year-round trade winds. PWA world cup events are organized every year on three of the seven islands: Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote (and maybe a new event will be held this year in Tenerife). To make a long story short: These islands are a windsurfing paradise!

Let’s start with one of the most famous places in windsurfing history: Pozo Izquierdo on Gran Canaria. It’s a perfect spot for high jumping, not to say flying, due to the really strong winds blowing from April to August. This spot has produced many windsurfing champions, among them Björn Dunkerbeck and the Moreno twins. Another classic summer spot in Gran Canaria is Vargas, a big bay with some nice waves breaking on a sandbank. But Gran Canaria has much more to offer than just summer nuclear wind action. In winter, the eastern winds and western low pressures will offer you some epic sessions at the surf spots of the northern shore – San Andrés and Galdar - or in the southern area of the island – from Bahia Feliz to Maspalomas.

On Tenerife, the small town of El Médano is a really nice windsurfing destination; freestylers and beginners can go to the bay of the town, a nice sandy beach, and the wave maniacs will have fun on the rocky waves of El Cabezo and El Muelle. In winter, the most famous spot for windsurfing is the surf break of Fitenia in Las Americas, and its treacherous rocky jetty waiting for your gear when you make a mistake. More spots? Well, the German local Daniel Bruch was seen having some epic light-wind-big-waves sessions – up to double mast high - on the North shore of the island - definitely not suitable for non-professional windsurfers.

On Fuerteventura, the outstanding beaches of Jandía in the South of the island are perfect for freestyling and speed sailing. The North coast is best known for surfing and some of the best breaks for light wind wave sailing in Europe are hidden there: Majanicho, Lobos, Cotillo... The people living there are truly devoted to surfing and windsurfing, and checking the spots and looking for the best waves is their lifestyle. If one island should be named the “European Maui”, because of the consistency of the wavesailing conditions, it is definitely Fuerteventura.

The contiguous island of Lanzarote, which has world class surf breaks, also offers an interesting variety of windsurfing spots. Costa Teguise - Las Cucharas - is a perfect spot for fun and relaxed cruising – flat water in the inside, small waves on the outside of the bay – and nice clear waters for swimming. Meanwhile, the experimental waveriders will push their limits in the waves of Jameos del Agua – breaking over sharp lava rocks – or in the waves of the scenic Famara's beach.

The Case Dunkerbeck
Such consistent conditions for windsurfing, especially in the Canary Islands, had to produce a long list of windsurfing champions. To start off with: Björn Dunkerbeck, the most successful professional sportsman of all times (35 world championship titles). He recently moved from Gran Canaria to Switzerland – and changed his legendary sail number E-11 to SUI-11, after more than 20 years of success. One can say Björn is definitely a precious “external advisor” for the Spanish team. Unlike Björn, who has won world titles in almost every single windsurfing discipline, the rest of the team is specialized in waves.

Girls Power
Other champions from Pozo Izquierdo are the twin sisters Daida and Iballa Moreno. They have already won more than 17 world titles during their career, and are the most successful windsurfing women of all times. In their speciality – waves – they really are pushing the girls standard to another level, lots of men wouldn't like to compete with them. They are totally dedicated to windsurfing. Every year they organize a training camp, for girls only, to share their experience and get more girls into the sport.

As a matter of fact, the Spanish team is probably the one with the highest percentage of girls, in the disciplines waves and freestyle. Nayra Alonso, from Vargas – Gran Canaria - particularly enjoys waveriding, and she is one of the top 5 windsurfers in the world. A top five ranking in which another Spanish girl could take her position by the end of this season: Silvia Alba from Tarifa.

The Young Guns
The young guns of the team are some of the most promising wave riders in the world. At the age of 24, Victor Fernandez Lopez took the second place of the PWA wave ranking in 2007 by winning two events out of four! He is currently training at his home town Almerimar to get ready for the new season. Another champion from mainland Spain is Alex Mussolini, coming from Barcelona. After a few years of training in Maui, he became a really stylised and recognised waverider.

The rest of the team is from the Canary Islands: Jonas Ceballos – one of the best jumpers in the world – and his younger brother Eleazar Alonso Sanchez from Pozo Izquierdo, Daniel Bruch, a talented German windsurfer from Tenerife, starting for Spain; and last but not least, the youngest of the team, Philip Köster (also originally German) from Vargas in Gran Canaria, aged only 14, who already does the most complex windsurfing moves.

The Windsurfing Avantgarde
Had enough? Wait, the list is not finished yet. We have to mention some more Spanish wave experts from Gran Canaria. Let's start with Marcos Pérez. After more than 10 years on the world tour, he now competes only at home in Gran Canaria - a serious contestant for the Pozo PWA event. Marcos is also active in the local windsurfing scene, organizing a competition in Vargas in August, and helping the local young guns to compete and push their limits.

Another talented wave rider from Gran Canaria is Dario Ojeda, the second best Spanish competitor during the Pozo Izquierdo PWA event 2007. And to put an end to this list of champions, let's not forget the Jensen brothers. Even though Vidar has a Norwegian sail number, Orjan is competing for the Spanish team under the number E-19. They are both all-round wavesailors, feared competitors, and capable of doing the most insane double front loops in Pozo Izquierdo.

The Olympic Class RS:X
The Olympic Games are coming soon, and Spain will be represented by two world champions, Ivan Pastor Lafuente from Alicante and Marina Alabau from Sevilla. They both started their career on the old Olympic equipment, the Mistral One-Design (Ivan already represented Spain in Athens 2004), and they are both really successful on the new class RS:X. Marina Alabau recently proved her superiority by winning the European Championships in Brest, France. There is no doubt that they will both fight for the gold medal.

The most competitive Team in the World
The Spanish national team has everything: legends, experienced riders, young guns, power girls, perfect windsurfing conditions for training and numerous pro events to start competing on the world tour as soon as possible. No wonder that the Spanish national team is not only one of the biggest in the world but also one of the most competitive – A true Spanish windsurfing Armada!

Major Titles won by Spanish Competitors
In the late 1980s and the entire 1990s the professional scene was dominated by Björn Dunkerbeck, who won 35 world championship titles under the Spanish flag. In the 2000s, the twin sisters Daida and Iballa Moreno are now perpetuating this Spanish domination… And knowing the potential of the Spanish young guns, this domination could last for a while!

2008: Marina Alabau, currently Nº1 ranking ISAF RS:X class
2007: Daida Ruano Moreno, PWA freestyle world champion
2007: Iballa Ruano Moreno, PWA wave world champion
2007: Ivan Pastor Lafuente, Nº1 ranking ISAF RS:X class (may to june)
2006: Iballa Ruano Moreno, PWA wave world champion
2006: Daida Ruano Moreno, PWA superX world champion
2006: Daida Ruano Moreno, PWA freestyle world champion
2005: Björn Dunkerbeck, ISA speed world champion
2005: Daida Ruano Moreno, PWA wave world champion
2005: Daida Ruano Moreno, PWA freestyle world champion
2004: Daida Ruano Moreno, PWA wave world champion
2004: Daida Ruano Moreno, PWA freestyle world champion
2003: Daida Ruano Moreno, PWA wave world champion
2003: Daida Ruano Moreno, PWA freestyle world champion
2002: Daida Ruano Moreno, PWA wave world champion
2001: Björn Dunkerbeck, PWA wave world champion
2001: Daida Ruano Moreno, PWA wave world champion
2000: Daida Ruano Moreno, PWA overall champion
2000: Daida Ruano Moreno, PWA wave world champion
1999: Björn Dunkerbeck, PWA wave world champion
1999: Björn Dunkerbeck, PWA overall world champion
1999: Björn Dunkerbeck, PWA race world champion
1999: Marina Alabau, junior world champion Mistral class
1998: Björn Dunkerbeck, PWA freestyle world champion
1998: Björn Dunkerbeck, PWA overall world champion
1998: Björn Dunkerbeck, PWA race world champion
1998: Daniel Bruch, junior world wave champion production board
1998: Marcos Peres Hidalgo, world wave champion production board
1997: Björn Dunkerbeck, PWA overall world champion
1997: Björn Dunkerbeck, PWA race world champion
1996: Björn Dunkerbeck, PWA overall world champion
1996: Björn Dunkerbeck, PWA race world champion
1995: Björn Dunkerbeck, PWA wave world champion
1995: Björn Dunkerbeck, PWA overall world champion
1995: Björn Dunkerbeck, PWA race world champion
1994: Björn Dunkerbeck, speed world champion
1994: Björn Dunkerbeck, PWA wave world champion
1994: Björn Dunkerbeck, PWA overall world champion
1994: Björn Dunkerbeck, PWA race world champion
1993: Björn Dunkerbeck, PWA wave world champion
1993: Björn Dunkerbeck, PWA overall world champion
1993: Björn Dunkerbeck, PWA race world champion
1992: Björn Dunkerbeck, PWA wave world champion
1992: Björn Dunkerbeck, PWA overall world champion
1992: Björn Dunkerbeck, PWA race world champion
1991: Björn Dunkerbeck, PWA overall world champion
1991: Björn Dunkerbeck, PWA race world champion
1990: Björn Dunkerbeck, PWA wave world champion
1990: Björn Dunkerbeck, PWA overall world champion
1990: Björn Dunkerbeck, PWA race world champion
1989: Björn Dunkerbeck, PWA overall world champion
1989: Björn Dunkerbeck, PWA race world champion
1988: Björn Dunkerbeck, PWA overall world champion
1988: Björn Dunkerbeck, PWA race world champion