“El Panchorro”. That’s the name given to the almost 20 metre wave that between January and March will once again appear opposite Illa Pancha, turning Galicia into the centre of attention, from Australia to Hawaii, with the surf championship, the “Illa Pancha Challenge”.
Between January and March is the waiting period for the “Illa Pancha Challenge” event. Estrella Galicia and Cabreiroáwill be the official beer and mineral water at this giant wave championship that will be held on Illa Pancha, Ribadeo, coinciding with the storm from the North Atlantic that will bring waves of around 20 metres that will compete with their predecessor: a spectacular wave baptized ‘El Panchorro’ in 2009.
The day on which all the right conditions are met, up to 24 guest surfers will visit Galicia to leave their names in a mystical location. Among them will be some of the most important giant wave record-breakers in the world such as Rodrigo Koxa, who beat the world record for riding the highest wave ever in Nazaré; Lucas Chumbo Chianca, Brazilian surfer winner of XXL waves like Nazaré; and Sebastien Steudner, who has a number of world records on giant waves.
All will compete in the event with a novelty: it won’t be like the Big Wave Tour, but a tow-in, pulled out by Jet Ski, which is how the biggest waves in the world have been surfed.
Intrigue has invaded the surfing community with statements from the competition director, Eric Rebiere, who has explained that “the event will remain in spectators’ minds with a never before seen broadcast, by Veosurfing- and will mark the start of a new project that we have in mind: it will be spectacular.”
