The event will be held on the island on 4th July, with the participation of the best surfski paddlers in the world.
In March 2018 the International Canoe Federation decided in Tokyo that Lanzarote will host the ICF Canoe Ocean Racing World Championships in 2021. This year, Lanzarote’s water sports events will have an outstanding international impact. There was the celebration of the Olympic qualifier of several sailing modalities in the month of March and, in a few weeks, we will also be able to enjoy the sea kayaking world championship along the island’s coasts.
Some of the best surfski paddlers in the world will compete in Lanzarote on 4th July, coinciding in their stay with great international triathletes who will take part in a new edition of the IRONMAN Lanzarote just a day before.
Competitions in the surfski modality consist of navigating from one point to another on the coast in a kayak propelled by a paddle and in the shortest possible time. The wind conditions, the type of waves and the sea current play a fundamental role in the success of the competition. In Lanzarote, the course will take paddlers from the beach of La Garita (Haría) to the beach of El Reducto (Arrecife). This means 27 km of authentic surfski with magnificent conditions.
Gordan Harbrecht
Gordan Harbrecht
“Estoy en la isla entrenando duro estas semanas. Lanzarote es uno de los mejores lugares de Europa para practicar Surfski”
Víctor Rodríguez
Víctor Rodríguez
“Lanzarote reúne unas condiciones de mar brutales. En la competición vamos a disfrutar de surfski en estado puro.”
Walter Bouzán
Walter Bouzán
“”Las condiciones, el sitio, el lugar… Lanzarote, es un lugar privilegiado.”
Great international paddlers train in Lanzarote
Top German canoeist, Gordan Harbrecht, has been training on the island before the event and says, “it’s going to be a really great competition after a long time without being able to hold international events due to the pandemic.” Gordan has been training hard over the last few months to reach the date in good shape and compete at his best. For the German paddler, Lanzarote is one of the best places in Europe to practice surfski because of its weather conditions.
The Spanish paddler, Walter Bouzán, will also participate in the competition. He feels satisfied “just to be able to participate in a world championship another year” and his main objective, as he says in this interview, is “to have a good time during the competition in a privileged place like Lanzarote.”
Víctor Rodríguez is another of the participants in this event and he told us that in recent months his preparation has been focused on this race, putting a lot of kilometres under his belt to be able to perform well during the 27 km of the race. Rodríguez is clear that there will be all kinds of wave conditions during the course and that will make the competition “pure surfski”.
Finally, for Spain’s Inés Hernández and Germany’s Claas Gebhardt, the Lanzarote event will be their first World Championship, so they are nervous about how to tackle the competition. However, both say they are very excited to be among the participants in this event.
Undoubtedly, Lanzarote will once again be the epicentre of international sport on 4th July and this will open the doors for the island to consolidate itself as an ideal destination for sea kayaking, thus increasing the wide range of water sports that can be enjoyed off its coasts at any time of the year.
