The mayor of Teguise, Oswaldo Betancort, opened the presentation of the municipality's sports calendar within the framework of the International Tourism Fair that is being held these days in Madrid, accompanied by his government colleagues, Olivia Duque and Antonio Callero.
The municipality of Teguise, integrated in the Association of Tourist Municipalities of the Canary Islands, has world-class events such as the veteran Lanzarote International Marathon, which celebrated its 30th anniversary last December, or the Famara Total, which celebrated its seventh edition last August and has established itself as a unique commitment to combining a great trail challenge, landscape and nature in a unique environment such as the Risco and Famara beach with the rich heritage of the Historic Site of the Villa, one of the Most Beautiful Villages in Spain.
“Tourism, sport and sustainability go hand in hand in each of the initiatives that have emerged from loyal defenders of all the disciplines that we present today thanks to the initiative of these tourism and sports promoters, which all institutions must support and endorse”, said Betancort at the beginning of the presentation, congratulating each of them for the success obtained and for having a special sensitivity with our island, a Biosphere Reserve, when proposing sports events that take place in protected natural spaces”.
Another example of this sporting philosophy is the Ultrabike Club Santa Rosa Lanzarote, which in its eighth edition had more than 400 participants who traveled by mountain bike the island of La Graciosa and part of Lanzarote; but Teguise also presented another test for lovers of the unique nature of the island, such as the Lanzarote International Hang Gliding Open, which already has 25 calls to its credit and which will continue this 2023 flying over the slopes of Famara, the Mala dam, Mount Cuchillo and Guardilama, and projecting the image of Teguise and Lanzarote throughout the world.
“This tourist-sports model based on the public-private partnership is bearing fruit and is making Teguise and Lanzarote different from the rest, and offers opportunities like these that bring economic benefit, greater employability and quality in the profile of visitors and their loyalty, something that is having a positive impact on our society”, added Betancort.
New commitments to the environment
On July 5, 6, 7 and 8, Costa Teguise will host the Wingfoil World Cup for another year, making Lanzarote one of the most important stops on the Official GWA World Tour, where the best competitors in the world will participate, who also bring a large team with them (including family, friends, followers, sponsors, etc.).
Wingfoil, a booming sport that merges windsurfing and kitesurfing, will celebrate a second edition of an event that represents important publicity for Lanzarote as a sports tourism destination. A clean sport, which uses a natural energy such as wind and the force of the sea, in a place like Costa Teguise, which offers exceptional natural conditions and impressive images that go around the world.
Another of Teguise's new bets is Lanzarote Foil Challenge, which in autumn will celebrate the 3rd edition of the world's first ultra-long distance light sailing regatta, which consists of going around Lanzarote in a single day on a foil board, covering more than 200 real km of navigation in about 9 hours on the board, which has generated a great impact, since there is nothing like it in the world and that has been reflected in the media and has put Lanzarote, even more, in the focus of nautical and extreme sports and, especially, Teguise for the incredible resources of the passage through La Graciosa and Costa Teguise, the island mecca of wind sports.
Lanzarote Foil Challenge is a sustainable event in which impacts are minimized, since athletes are driven by the famous wind of Lanzarote, respecting the environment, raising awareness among participants and followers on how to avoid affecting protected species and protect the coast and the marine environment, applying criteria of accessibility and equality, as well as consuming local products and reducing waste management.
To these tests on the water, is added the Canary Islands Ports Regatta, which was born in 2013 with the aim of publicizing and promoting the ports of the Autonomous Community linking sports activity to the activation of other economic areas associated with port activity and which also stops on the island of La Graciosa.
Tests presented and dates of celebration in 2023
The tests that will be carried out throughout this year 2023 are the Canary Islands Ports Regatta (Santa Cruz de Tenerife-Caleta de Sebo), in March; the Ultrabike Lanzarote, on April 29 and 30, the Famara Total, on August 24, 25 and 26; the Wing Foil World Cup, from July 5 to 8; the Wing Foil Challenge, between September and October; the Lanzarote International Marathon, on December 2 and the International Hang Gliding Open, which will be held from December 3 to 9, 2023.