In its 8th edition, the Lanzarote Quemao Class has become much more than a surf and bodyboard event. With the creation of the QuemaoHub, its Project Laboratory, various novelties have been introduced that have transformed this sporting event into an engine for the cultural, social, educational, and environmental promotion.
Now, it has presented a new novelty: Quemao Connect, a project that seeks to establish synergies between different regions and cultures under a common link: surfing. Thus, the world-renowned wave of El Quemao will project the culture and values of Lanzarote to promote international projects with a social, sports, and cultural character.
And so it has been, with the development of the first agreement of this innovative project, which, through the initiative of the Quemao Class, links the Cabildo of Lanzarote and the municipality of Nazaré, in Portugal. This historic institutional agreement will promote mutual learning between an event held in the most impressive tube wave in Europe, and the region with the largest wave in the world, highlighting training on the different rescue and safety techniques in extreme conditions implemented in each location and their evolution over the years.
Along with the exchange of experiences and sports knowledge, during a visit to the Portuguese region, the signing of the union agreement between these destinations took place, between the Municipality of Nazaré, with its mayor Manuel Sequeira, and the Cabildo of Lanzarote, with the president Oswaldo Betancort, as well as the Sports Councilor of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, Juan Monzón, María Martín, representing Turismo Lanzarote, and the organizers of the Lanzarote Quemao Class, Héctor Rodríguez and Lorenzo Suárez. In addition to the local surfer from La Santa Manuel Lezcano and the Portuguese surfer Miguel Blanco.
In this regard, the president of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, Oswaldo Betancort, expressed that "the twinning between Lanzarote and Nazaré aims to create an alliance between two prominent locations in the world of big wave surfing. With the signing of this Protocol, we seek to strengthen ties between two exceptional and different surfing destinations, to work together in synergies that promote sports tourism, gastronomy, and local culture around surfing, in addition to positioning the surfing industry in Lanzarote to generate employment for the island," he adds. "Through the Lanzarote Sports Destination brand, the destination is promoted as a unique place for practicing sports throughout the year. And today, we also announce the incorporation of Manuel Lezcano, a local surfer from La Santa, as an ambassador for the LSD brand."
Manuel Sequeira, mayor of Nazaré, stated that "like Nazaré, the island of Lanzarote is today a tourist and sports reference linked to the sea. But Lanzarote, like Nazaré, is also a place of settlement for entrepreneurs and intellectuals. It is a critical population that must be connected and leveraged for the development of both communities. As European maritime communities, we have much to gain by deepening our ties, not only through what we are already doing, but also by strengthening business, cultural, scientific, sports, and even educational ties," the mayor concluded.
"From the Insular Sports Service of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, we are committed to working hand in hand with Nazaré to promote not only surfing, but all those values that this sport embodies: respect for nature, personal improvement, and the spirit of community," said Juan Monzón, Sports Councilor of the Cabildo of Lanzarote. "This twinning will strengthen our ties and allow us to move forward together in promoting our coasts as top-level destinations," he added.
Manuel Lezcano, a local surfer from La Santa, expressed the importance of this agreement, highlighting that "it is a great opportunity, since, in Nazaré in terms of big waves, rescue, and equipment, they have managed to advance more than anywhere else in the world. Having the opportunity to share knowledge and learn from close up is a luxury."
Héctor Rodríguez and Lorenzo Suárez, organizers of the Lanzarote Quemao Class, expressed the relevance of the twinning between these two powers in the world of surfing: the giant wave of Nazaré, the largest in the world, and the most perfect tube in Europe on a volcanic reef, the wave of El Quemao. Similarly, they highlighted the great opportunity that this agreement represents, not only for an increase in the global projection of both locations, but as a common learning tool between these two regions of the Atlantic.
The twinning between Lanzarote and Nazaré opens a communication bridge between two exceptional destinations, allowing the exchange of knowledge and experiences that will unite two communities with a common surfing culture.