Catching Waves
Known for its picturesque beaches and beautiful blue-green coves, Catalonia’s coast is ideal for sunbathing and swimming, but people have ALSO been surfing here since the late eighties
Surfing in Barcelona? Yes! Knowing the best spots and having a little patience can pay off, because when it’s on, it’s on for as long as the wind stays offshore.
In recent years, surfing—now also an Olympic sport—has gained enormous popularity. Many people are increasingly interested in learning to surf, its fashion and its unique lifestyle.
More surfboards are sold in Barcelona than in any other Spanish city, and though even the locals go abroad to catch the bigger waves, this Mediterranean city has become a headquarters for wave hunters. Its cosmopolitan vibe, vibrant music and art scenes, excellent cuisine and prime location make an exceptional base for ocean lovers.
The city and its surroundings offer wonderful surf spots; the most popular are found in Sitges, Castelldefels, El Prat, Barceloneta, Masnou, Premià de Mar, Vilassar de Mar and Montgat. However, you have to become an expert in checking the webcams and weather forecasts to know where to go and, most importantly, when to hit the spot.
Toni Ginard, one of the first surfers in Barceloneta remembers: “When I started to surf in the Nineties, there were no smartphones to start with, not to talk about webcams! I remember how I would come at 7:00 am to the beach, sit down and stare at the ocean with my board, waiting for the waves to show themselves. When they did, the joy was indescribable, when they didn’t, the disappointment of not unpacking the board would be devastating.”
Toni learned to surf on his own by reading magazines and watching movies. “I just did one surf course, in a school that no longer exists, and the teacher would take us to the right spots for us to learn, not just sticking to one location.”
Barcelona offers two types of surfing schools: traditional courses located at the beach, such as Pukas, and schools that pick you up and take you to the appropriate spot according to your level and the weather conditions, such as Spaguetti Surf or BCN Surf School.
Toni also comments on how the surfing scene has changed over the years; it has gone from a close-knit and protective community of local surfers to a more open-minded one. There are now numerous WhatsApp groups that share insights on favorite spots, and even websites, such as Sharryup.com that offer real-time updates on weather conditions.
“Sharing insights is very controversial,” Toni explains, “more conservative surfers are completely against it, due to the fact the beaches might get overcrowded by newbies. Nevertheless, I think that the ocean belongs to all of us. Most importantly, you have to understand the unwritten rules of surfing when going to a beach which is not your own. First, you have to respect the locals by leaving the first waves to them. Then, you should respect seniority and priority. And, snaking [surf term for stealing waves] is never acceptable.”
Barcelona’s surfing community has a wide variety of surf shops, from the large, multi-brand shops such as Tactic, Boardriders Barceloneta and La General Surfera, to smaller boutiques that offer local products such as La Joya and Wet Dreams Surf Shop, which offers clothes made out of recycled materials, collaborates with Surfrider Foundation Barcelona and has a coffee corner with free WiFi to hang out and watch competitions or surfing documentaries.
Near the end of the interview, Toni feels compelled to mention the garbage cluttering the beaches and filling the oceans, “We are often not aware of the impact that the trash we leave behind on the beaches has on the ecosystem. As a surfer, and someone who is passionate about the ocean, I believe it is our responsibility not only to pick up the garbage littering the beaches, and to support NGOs that clean the oceans, but also to help increase awareness of this very serious environmental issue.”