Argentine surf festival with all generations gathered under the full moon

Colleagues, friends and family greet and congratulate him. And his eyes shine when the photographer joins in and shows him the portraits of his waves. “It is an emotion, because I am the oldest in the championship and the fears are there when you enter the water in a condition like this… But the sea always gives you something. I didn’t start the heat connected, but I concentrated and was able to understand the wave. But, above all, I was able to enjoy the social gathering of our community, the friendship and everything that unites us.”he says excitedly.

Suddenly, someone walks by and tells him they see him at his best in years. The man from Mar del Plata is surprised and thinks about the answer. “Maybe I found a way to be happy with who I am, not who I am not. I can’t do the same thing as I did at 40, but I can do other things. I am in my hometown, in love, creating a community in my neighborhood, being able to surf every day, with four beautiful children and a team behind me that allows me to do it. What more can I ask for?”, reflects who has been president of the International Surfing Association for 40 years.

At its side, the second edition of the Quiksilver Full Moon Sessions continues its development. An invitational event with all generations of national surfing, past, present and future, with surfers from 12 to 66 years old. An idea by Aguerre that allows you to travel through a timeline, which gives young people the opportunity to meet those who paved the way and entertain them, without so much competition involved.

Anyway, there was: a team tournament in which each one had a junior, a lady, an Open, a Master, a Legend and a Longboarder -surfer with longer boards-. The Luna Llena team won (they took home a prize of $1,000,000), curiously in the event that was held with the motto of waiting for the first full moon of the year. A moon that rose at 8:30 p.m. and ended up illuminating the closing of a very cool meeting that had a top food stand (sourdough pizza and meat and chicken skewers, as well as fruits and juices), a drinks bar and music with a DJ first and at the end, live, with the band Joaquina y los Monotributistas. A dream ending with warmth and all the vibes.

Such an organizational display and a beautiful day was the ideal combo to attract many people to that natural stand that the Chapatrapa spa in Chapadmalal has: nearly 400 people, in addition to the one located on a crowded beach. The Quiksilver and Ala Moana team had a huge living room with chairs and gazebos for everyone’s comfort.

There were several notable presences. Guillermo Montenegro, mayor of the city, was at the beginning. “I love surfing. It is in my family, since two of my children practice it, and it is part of the identity of our national surfing capital. I follow him, just like the people of Mar del Plata who make us look so good around the world. Furthermore, I come because of the vibe they bring to each event. In all of them there is great work behind, it is very noticeable”he opined.

Two very surfing families also gave the present, that of Facundo Arana (his wife Maria Susini and children surf) and that of former goalkeeper Fabián Assmann and the model Melina Pitra, both surfers for a few years who have their two daughters in the water: Isabella, 13 years old, practices bodyboarding and Indiana, 9 years old, excels at surfing. “I came to this event because I love it, especially seeing people that I have seen run all my life and that I admire because it is very important for the sport, like Fernando Aguerre, who achieved the Olympic milestone and continues to enjoy surfing like he did 50 years ago. Whoever ever invented a tournament surely thought more about something like that than what it later became. Today everyone is smiling, those who will go to the podium and those who will not. It’s even irrelevant if there are good waves… It doesn’t matter. “We are all happy here,” said Arana. At his side, Assmann said his thing. “In Mar del Plata we find our place in the world and in surfing we can share a passion as a family,” admitted the former goalkeeper who today works in the Aldosivi youth team.

Also present was Gabriel Salvia, coordinator of the Argentine Olympic Committee for the Playa Olímpica program along the entire coast. “The goal is to bring the COA and the Olympic spirit to the beach, a new area that has been discovered in Olympic movement. That people continue to get closer to sports, in this case to beach sports that have a special essence and have grown a lot,” he said. One more support for national surfing.

Lucia Indurain, a Roxy athlete who has been at a high level in the international arena for the last two years, highlighted the “relaxed atmosphere of the event, ideal for sharing talks, recognizing the past, seeing the evolution of our sport and enjoying this great present.” Near her, Luis Radziunas, national champion in 1979 and father of one of the best current surfers (Franco), highlighted the sociability of the event. “More than a tournament, it is a meeting of friends, some of whom I haven’t seen in a while. I like sharing more than competitive. An event that also celebrates history, this did not start a couple of years ago, it is more than 60 years old… The industry has grown a lot and companies are greatly accompanying this explosion of surfing, which today once again has athletes who can compete with anyone internationally. Companies of the stick and others that are not, like Ford. In my time this did not happen,” he highlighted.

Javier Etchegoyen is 64 and admits that he rides waves all year round, in addition to cycling and swimming. “Sometimes he came home from work at 5 p.m., I’m not going to get involved, but I see from my apartment in Playa Grande that others are going to the water, and I end up getting involved. I feel the same passion as when I was a child. That’s why I like these events that are not so competitive. We had a great time, we shared a moment and we laughed a lot,” he says.

At his side, Juan García Mata, 48 years younger (he is 16), the new jewel of the RVCA brand, nods. “I enjoy it more than a competition. I love meeting in person those who paved the way for us, it is very fun to share with them and see the whole surfing family together. Today we all encourage each other and we, the youngest, can see the style of each group and the evolution that surfing has had,” he explained.

That’s how it was, past, present and future enjoying a sport in full growth. In a day full of friendship, camaraderie and with the vibe and magic that only surfing can generate…

CHAMPION TEAM: Full Moon

With Cocó Cianciarulo, Nico Hermida, Santiago Di Pace, Javier Echegoyen, Martín Pérez and Tomás Márques.

Winners by category:

Legends: Fernando Aguerre

Master: Walter Villalba

Open: Nico Hermida

Ladies: Coco Cianciarulo

Junior: Juan García Mata

Longboard: Martín Pérez (also won the best wave and $200,000)