La Vaca Gigante by Oakley has already someone to challenge her. Finally it will be 48 surfers who will face the 6 meters big wave in the Cantabrian coast.
Main Photo: Sergio García
The big wave surfing competition, La Vaca Gigante by Oakley, reveals their names and announces an amazing line-up of local, national and international surfers, principal actors of this extreme challenge
Finally, it will be 48 surfers who fill face the mooing of La Vaca Gigante by Oakley, an increment in the number of invitations due to the high sports level of some of the professional surfers who have shown their interest to attend the Cantabrian wave event.
Pedro Gutierrez, in charge of this surfing event, explains the reasons of the increment in the number of invitations: “ The increment of invitations has been due to the surfers’ incredible interest to attend the event. ObessionA2 Club’s technical department –La Vaca Gigante by Oakley’s responsable – has evaluated all possibilities and come to the point that it is advisable to boost, spread and develop this great big wave surfing event, to give the opportunity to more surfers to challenge one of the most famous big wave of Europe for big riders. Also, it is an effort to motivate local riders who can enjoy and share the event with foreing big riders. The decision was not an easy one to make but we hope it will succeed”.
52 BRAVE RIDERS WHO WILL CHALLENGE LA VACA GIGANTE BY OAKLEY
Among the 48 selected surfers, it appears great big riders; although ObsessionA2 Club has always wanted to have great world and national’s figures but, of course, to keep betting the local surfers.
There are 14 Cantabrian surfers invited to the event in the North of Spain.
There are 14 Cantabrian surfers invited to the event in the North of Spain. They are: Miguel Welsh – best Cantabrian classified in La Vaca Gigante 2015-, Fernando Riego, Juan Díaz-Terán, Pablo Gutiérrez, Dani Pablos, David Echagüe, the discoverer of the wave La Vaca Gigante and probably the person who has ridden this wave the most
Oscar Gómez-Ibars, Tino Aja, Pablo Solar, Luis García, Ajan Olavarri, Ale Morales, Nagai Puntiveiro y Alvaro Cotera.
Among the national surfers (14) who will challenge the wave, we can find Alex Zirke – winner of La Vaca Gigante 2015 and invited to WSL’s surfing event Punta Galea Challende – David Vilayta y Aaron Rodriguez, the Asturian Pablo Suarez, Carlos Alberto Meana y Jacobo Rodríguez, los vascos Asier Muniain, Adur Letamendia, Indar Unanue, Aritz Aramburu, Nacho Gonzalez, Iker Muñoz y Asier Puntiverio, and the Galician Luis Rodríguez.
La Vaca Fotografo: Sergio Garcia
CANARIAS, PAIS VASCO, ANDALUCIA, ASTURIAS Y GALICIA
Entre los deportistas nacionales (14) que desafiarán la ola que más muge se encuentran los canarios Alex Zirke -ganador de La Vaca Gigante 2015 y con una invitación para acudirá la prueba de la WSL Pta. Galea, David Vilayta y Aaron Rodriguez, los asturianos Pablo Suarez, Carlos Alberto Meana y Jacobo Rodríguez, los vascos Asier Muniain, Adur Letamendia, Indar Unanue, Aritz Aramburu, Nacho Gonzalez, Iker Muñoz y Asier Puntiverio, además del gallego Luis Rodríguez.
La Vaca Gigante 2015/ Marian Piñan
GREAT INTERNATIONAL BIG RIDER STARS CONFIRM ITS INVITATION TO LA VACA GIGANTE BY OAKLEY
The British Andrew Cotton and Tom Butler, the big riders stars such as the Italian-Hawaiian Francisco Porcella, the German Sebastian Steudner, Hawaiian Aaron Gold, the South African star Grant Baker, the Mexican Oscar Moncada or the French Benjamin Sanchis have asked for an invitation to the event which is crossing international borders.
Along with them, the French Stephane Iralour y Pilou Ducalme, the Australian Skeet Derham and the great Jamie Michel, Eric Rebiere or the Moroccan Jerome Sahyoun and the Portuguese Joao Macedo are some of the other great figures who will challenge the moo of La Vaca Gigante.
Through online contest, the users have voted that the invitations will be for the American Dylan Cotton – one of the great big riders with an age of 18 years old– the French Gautier Granx, or the famous Italian surfing star Alessandro Piu, who, as well as the Irish Ollie O Flaherty or the South African Jeremy Johnson, counts with the invitation for La Vaca Gigante by Oakley.
“ This year La Vaca Gigante by Oakley try again to attract some of the professional surfers who take part in the Big Wave World Tour competition. The organization was specially interested in two of them: Grant Baker, winner of Puerto Escondido Challenge in Mexico and Jamie Mitchel who has also started this season very strong” Gómez- Ibars explains.
“ As well as “free surfers” such as the French Bnejamin Sanchis who has the record in 2014 for the major wipeout of the history; Andrew Cotton, pioneer of Nazare’s huge wave together with Garret McNamara and with the world’s record for the biggest wave ridden in 2013.
It must be stressed the Italian- Hawaiian Porcella, who has done a spectacular performance in 2015, in the biggest waves of the world in Tahiti and Hawaii; and the Basque Natxo González, the only Spanish invited to the hawaiian big wave at Jaws at the age of 21”.
La Vaca Gigante 2015/ Marian Piñan
LA VACA GIGANTE BY OAKLEY, OLIMPO DE NEPTUNO
El espectacular listado de deportistas que han recibido la invitación para poder desafiar La Vaca Gigante By Oakley es, sin duda alguna, uno de los más potentes en la historia de un evento de surf de olas grandes a nivel nacional, como detalla el Director Deportivo de la prueba Pedro Gutiérrez y el Responsable de Deportistas, Oscar Gómez Ibars.
“Es complicado destacar a alguno por encima del resto, pero está claro que deportistas consagrados internacionalmente como Jaimie Mitchell o la gran leyenda mundial Twiggy Grant Baker parten como principales favoritos”, declara Gutierrez, “En cuanto a los deportistas del listado nacional los siempre combativos surfistas vascos parten con ventaja al ser pioneros en este tipo de eventos, así que habrá que estar atentos a Indar Unanue, Adur Letamendia y Axi Muniain. Entre los de casa tenemos un poco de todo; desde jóvenes deportistas con muchas ganas, como Miguel Welsh, hasta veteranos surfistas profesionales como Pablo Gutiérrez y Pablo Solar que lo han conseguido prácticamente todo en su carrera deportiva, pasando por los grandes conocedores de la ola, Oscar Gómez, Luis García, Nano Riego o Dani de Pablos”.
“Este año La Vaca Gigante By Oakley vuelve a intentar atraer a varios deportistas de élite que corren el Mundial de Ola Grandes. La organización ha querido contar especialmente con dos de ellos: Grant Baker reciente campeón de la prueba de Puerto Escondido (México) y Jamie Mitchel que también ha hecho un arranque espectacular esta temporada”, explica Gómez-Ibars.
“Además de “Free surfers”como son el francés Benjamin Sanchis, que tiene el récord de 2014 del mayor wipeout (peor caída) de la historia, Andrew Cotton pionero en la ola gigante de Nazare (Portugal) junto a Garret McNamara y con el récord del mundo de la ola más grande cogida en 2013.
Hay que destacar también al italo-hawaiano Porcella, que ha dado un espectáculo en 2015 en las mayores olas del planeta en Tahití y Hawaii y a Natxo González, joven vasco único español invitado a correr la ola Hawaiana de Jaws con tan sólo 21años. Y esto por poner un ejemplo ya que hay hasta 48 riders invitados y otra lista en espera para posibles bajas”.
Un verdadero espectáculo mundial en el que 48 surfistas desafiaran a La Vaca Gigante By Oakley cántabra y del que aún quedan grandes sorpresas por desvelar.
La Vaca Gigante 2015/ Marian Piñan