San Sebastian City Hall wants to do a Surf Park on a Mount Martutene
- Eneko Goia’s government team wants to build a nine-hectare infrastructure in the Martutene district. This was published by the Guipuzkoan newspaper El Diario Vasco on 30 December. This Surf Park would be located four kilometers from the sea, in one of the few undeveloped mountains in the vicinity of the city, in Antondegi. The European association of surfers, Surf Riders, is against these infrastructures for the damage done to the environment.
The City Hall of Donostia-San Sebastián has reported that it plans to surf park in the area of Martutene. The City Council has not issued an official communiqué, but El Diario Vasco has published a note explaining the intentions. As indicated, the project is not approved and is expected to be processed in June 2021. Once approved, the process of awarding the project to a company would begin.
Socialist Ernesto Gasco, a member of the municipal government team, intended to install this infrastructure in this coastal city, as can be read in this news by Surfer Rule. In 2018, Deputy Mayor Gasco expressed his desire to build an artificial wave as "advance in the professionalization of the surf world". In this sense, he assured that this infrastructure would give the opportunity to "enjoy" surf "with a quality service".
New withdrawal from San Juan de Luz
There has been imminent noise on social media, and some of those who have raised their voices have been members of Donibane Lohizune's Herri Berri platform. In this locality, a similar project has been dismantled a few months ago. In a few months, 66,000 signatures were collected. After the Rame pour eta planète movement and the European Surfing Riders Foundation hit the alarm, the local surfers also opposed it, claiming that they were not built on their behalf "anti-ecological infrastructures" of this kind.
"It's news with victory tints for those who have mobilized against the construction of the artificial wave pool. It's a Christmas present," said Surf Session magazine, according to Naiz.
Against surfing values
The non-profit association Surf Rider, created by European surfers, has stood against these infrastructures in 2020 and the full argument can be read on its website. They basically say that the damage that Surf Park does to the environment is greater than the contribution that they make to surfing.
Hainbat elkartek alarma piztu zuten Donibane Lohitzuneko Surf park proiektuaren kontra. Uhain artifizialak eta inguruan hotelak. Hara ze itxura ukango zuen guneak. Baina dirudienez ez da urrunago joanen.
«Rame pour ta planète», surf rider fondation… hainbat elkarteek alarma jo dute Donibane Lohizuneko Surf Park proiektuaren aintzinean.