MAR DEL PLATA
CITY
The city of Mar del Plata is located on the coast of Buenos Aires Province and is nationally recognized as a central hub for beach tourism in Argentina. This position is supported by its geographical characteristics and its wide range of services and tourist infrastructure.
With a coastline stretching 47 kilometers, one can distinguish sandy beaches of different types, areas with cliffs and protected areas, ideal settings for practicing water sports such as surfing, paddle surfing , kitesurfing , bodyboarding , foil surfing , kayaking , diving , and complementary activities such as paragliding and trekking , among others.
In this context, the development of surfing was favored by the city's unique location and features, which provide winds blowing in different directions and therefore the necessary waves for the sport, both for advanced athletes and amateur or beginner surfers. Among these attributes, it boasts world-class surf spots, such as La Paloma Beach .
The remarkable growth of surfing since 1963 has been fundamental to the creation of several institutions in the country dedicated to collaborating with the development of the activity, among them the Asociación de Surf Argentina (ASA), which monitors and promotes the city as a center for important national and international championships.
In 2015, Mar del Plata was declared the National Surf Capital, a title granted by National Law 27.107, consolidating its status.
It can be said that, currently, surfing is part of the culture of Mar del Plata . The surfing community numbers around 10,000 people during the off-season, rising to 15,000 in the summer, including those who practice surfing, SUP, bodyboarding , foil , and kitesurfing.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF SURFING AND MAR DEL PLATA
Surfing arrived in Argentina through Daniel Francisco Gil, a young man who, in 1961, undertook a trip with his father that took him to the United States, where he discovered surfing through photographs of people surfing in Hawaii. It was also during this trip that he visited a surf shop for the first time. A year later, he surfed his first wave on Brazilian beaches.
Daniel, the son of a wealthy Buenos Aires family who used to spend long vacations in Mar del Plata , surfed the first local wave on May 3, 1963, specifically at the Waikiki resort (south of Punta Mogotes), in the company of his friends Luis De Ridder, Cachito León, Richard Podestá, and Tite Elizalde.
This was the exact moment when surfing arrived in Argentina, and little by little it took root in Mar del Plata. The first surfers from Mar del Plata were Luis Ventura, the local Antífora, Tiribelli, and Carlos Seligmann. In turn, Luis De Ridder began manufacturing gigantic surfboards, giving rise to the local surf industry. Today, thousands of surfers enjoy the city's waves year after year.
The city of Mar del Plata is the birthplace of surfing at the national level and, consequently, the origin of a large number of champions.
ICONS AND ATHLETES IN THE SPOTLIGHT
The list of athletes and iconic figures at the international level is extensive, including: Lele Usuna (first Olympic surfer), Martín Passeri . Ornella Pellizari . Coco Cianciarulo . Maxi Rulo Prenski . Maximiliano Siri . Surfiel Gil . Luis Radziunas . Franco Radziunas . Sebastián Galindo . Alejo Martínez . Santiago Di Pace . Carlos DiPace . Marcelo Galindo . Marcelo Rodríguez . Santiago Muñiz . Felipe Suarez . Juan Baldino (physical trainer). Martin Perez . Lucía Cosoleto . Juan Cruz Ruggiero and parasurfer Pablo Martínez .
THE FIGURE OF FERNANDO AGUERRE
It is important to highlight the figure of Fernando Aguerre. This native of Mar del Plata is committed to the sport in Argentina and worldwide. Since his presidency of the International Surfing Association (ISA) in 1994, he has been largely responsible for surfing becoming a new discipline in the Olympic Games starting in Tokyo 2020—a dream that took him 20 years of management and work. He also succeeded in having his sport included in the program of the Pan American Games starting in Lima 2019.
Aguerre is the main driving force behind Argentine surfing, so much so that in 1978 he founded the Argentine Surfing Association and, months later, organized its first tournament. In 1992, he co-founded the Pan-American Surfing Association, which he presided over until 2002. In 2018, Aguerre was inducted into the Surfing Walk of Fame in California. Furthermore, in 1984 he founded, with his brother, the clothing brand Reef, which became the number one beach sandal company and one of the leading surf brands in the world.
Since 2015, Aguerre has been a member of the Sports and Active Society Commission of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
LOCAL SURF INSTITUTIONS
Argentine Surf Association (ASA) : Founded in 1991 by surfers from the city and recognized by the ISA. It is responsible for forming the teams that represent the country in international competitions, organizing annual circuits on different beaches in Argentina.
Argentine Surfing Federation (FAS) : Brings together the country's Federated Surfing Associations, present in Mar del Plata, Miramar, Necochea, Mar de Ajó, Santa Teresita and Rawson. It proposes an annual circuit with different dates, which takes place on various beaches in Argentina, including Mar del Plata.
Marplatense Surf Association (AMS) : Focuses its actions on the development of surfing in Mar del Plata, offering its own annual circuit on different beaches in the city, encouraging and supporting local professional surfers, and promoting the city as a surfing destination.
