Shaka: Surfing in Mar del Plata

Compared to its neighbouring countries, Argentina doesn’t have ideal natural conditions for surfing and it isn’t particularly popular here. Nonetheless, there are spots in the country where the sport can be practised. Mar del Plata is Argentina’s surfing capital where it isn’t just seen as a sport, it is a passion, a whole scene and a way of life. The Argentina Independent sampled the city’s scene for a weekend and got an insight in its passion, politics, myths – and the freezing cold.

Marcelo Garlindo is one of the big names of this movement. He co-founded the internationally known brand Camarón Brujo, and has been riding his board almost every day for the last 29 years. “Checking the waves is the first thing I do after getting up in the morning and I organise my days around them. For me, surfing is everything,” says the 35-year-old fanatic.

The lastest step towards fulfilling his life through surfing was founding Camarón Brujo with his brother Sebastián and their friend Charlie Ordano in 1996. Since then, they have been shaping boards, producing clothes, sponsoring riders and running their own surfing school at Honu Beach, Mar del Plata. While most tourists only visit in the summer and up to 400 people take classes in the city’s schools every day, the locals don’t consider the temperature. For them, the season never ends and thanks to their full-body wetsuits, they are able to ride the waves every day.

“All our lives are about surfing. We love it and it’s also a part of our work. When there are any problems in the office, we just take our boards and ride some waves to be more relaxed afterwards. It always works,” says Marcelo. For him, a healthy lifestyle and the connection with nature are also a big part of the sport. “To be a good surfer, you’ve got to be like a ballerina; very elastic but with body tension.” As such, the school also offers yoga classes, which is seen as perfect preparation for the first steps on the board.

Surfing goes Political

As one of the city’s main attractions and an important influence on its economy, the sport also plays a role in its politics. Mar del Plata’s Mayor Gustavo Pulti’s main interest is to make the city’s local riders content and he describes the scene saying: “The guys here are in the water every day. There are championships and tournaments at national and international levels. Surfing draws in many tourists but the scene itself is mainly about the locals.”

Although he doesn’t practise the sport himself, many of the city’s officials take a ride before starting their daily work. It’s a normal part of everyday life here, and also a big business with a lot of competition.

Referring to the leftovers of an abandoned hut on the city’s beach, Mariano Galindo tells the story of a friend who lived in this improvised home. “He wanted to start a surfing school and do other artistic activities, but due to some judicial problems he had, the officials didn’t really like his idea. One night, the place was destroyed. This business involves a lot of money, which leads to rivalry. Politics play a big role in it.”

Due to financial problems, Mar del Plata also stopped hosting the Surfing World Cup two years ago. The reason, as it so often is, was the decreasing strength of the currency and the weak economy that accompanied this. Nonetheless, the number of surfers in the city is constantly increasing, and Camarón Brujo stocks the most talented ones with their material, all produced in the cellar of their office. Whereas most factories out-source, the Galindos swear by local production. The reason is quite simply that they “love to shape boards”, which they see as “making a piece of art”.

Argentina’s First Surfboard: A Myth

For Daniel Gil, the old pioneer whose legend says that he brought the first surfboards to the country in the 1960s, surfing is the philosophy of “pura vida”. “Surfing is a way to purification and on this road you find the stability of the four states of being. You reach an inner balance in physical, mental, emotional and spiritual cases and you find the equilibrium between your left and your right hemisphere.”

In his school Waikiki Surf Club, which is located on the homonymous beach and is open 365 days a year, he also teaches this philosophy as a normal part of learning the sport. According to his lessons, surfing even makes you “a superior individual to the person you were before”.

What he appreciates in Mar del Plata is that the waves are set apart from those of the rest of the country, due to the cutting coast. Coming to the city, to which he now considers himself a “native” after having lived there for some years, was always one of his childhood dreams. On 3rd May 1963, he and five of his friends inaugurated the sport’s tradition in Argentina by riding the first waves in Mar del Plata. This date is now celebrated yearly as ‘National Surf Day’.  His only contemplation on his life without surfing is: “I think it wouldn’t be”.

“Let’s go suffering”

To get a real insight in this world, there was obviously no way around getting myself stuck in the water. Disregarding outer temperatures around the low teens and the fact that Argentine surfing schools aren’t equipped for European oversized feet, the experience was to be made the freezing way. Motion sequences were practised in dry runs and after a short theoretical input, we hit the water to, according to Marcelo, “go suffering”.

At first, the icy sea was painful against the limbs left uncovered by the wetsuit. However, they were soon completely numb and the fun of countering the raging waves enabled to immediately forget any pain.

Nonetheless, it should be mentioned that for me, the cool surfer-look could only be maintained until entering the water. There, it became apparent that, as said before, you’ve got to dedicate your entire life, rather than a mere two days, to really controlling a board.

Camarón Brujo offers a wide range of different classes on all levels. To check the times and prices, head to www.camaronbrujo.com. The school will be open from December. To get more information about Gil’s school, Kikiwai Surf Club, go to www.kikiwaisurfclub.com.ar. Once in the city, you also shouldn’t miss the whales which can be seen from it’s coast, the old ships graveyard at the port or the sea lions hanging around next to it.

Argentina’s main surfing spots can be found along the coast from Santa Teresita down to Rada Tilly. Some of the best-known places around Mar del Plata are Necochea, Miramar, Pinamar, Villa Gesell, Santa Teresita, Santa Clara, Claromeco, Rawson and Rada Tilly. To get your head around surfing in the country, you should also have a look at www.elsurfeo.com, Argentina’s biggest surfers’ forum.