Apparently, a political dispute is at least partly to blame for the fact that the traditional World Cup in Sotavento in the south of Fuerteventura cannot take place in 2022 either, after a two-year coronavirus break. Authorisations from the "Demarcación de Costas" and the "Capitanía Marítima" were missing. Roughly speaking, these two authorities, which are subordinate to the government, are responsible for everything that happens on the coast and for safety on the water. Without the authorisation of both authorities, the organisers of the World Cup refused to sign the contract to hold the event with the town of Pájara on Fuerteventura. In a communiqué, the organisers made it clear: "that holding the championship without these authorisations, which were proposed by the municipal representatives, is not only an administrative violation, but could also lead to serious civil or criminal liabilities that must be avoided". As the Fuerteventura Cup was due to take place in three weeks' time, the Pajares council has now cancelled the event.
The PWA has now also issued an official press release on this:
"Despite the best efforts of the PWA, the Ayuntamiento de Pajara, the Rene Egli Centre and the Melia Group over months of hard work and planning, and despite the funding for the event being confirmed by the main sponsors, some of the necessary permits needed locally to hold the event were still not available three weeks before the scheduled start of the event, meaning that the final event contracts could not be signed in time. With little time left to make the final preparations for the event, the Ayuntamiento de Pajara made the unilateral decision to cancel the event for this year.
Although this is a frustrating decision for the PWA and the Rene Egli Centre and we believe there are other ways to secure the event, we understand the Ayuntamiento's decision and the practical reasons why they felt compelled to make this decision.
The Fuerteventura World Cup is an iconic event that has been running for over 30 years and has seen some of the best racing, speed and freestyle competitions in the history of the sport. This longevity and pedigree is largely thanks to our partners at the Rene Egli Centre, whose experience and expertise play an irreplaceable role in ensuring the event runs smoothly, efficiently and successfully year after year.
The event would also not be possible without the support of the local municipality and the Ayuntamiento de Pajara, who welcome us to their beaches and provide the financial and logistical support that allows us to bring the competition to Fuerteventura at the highest level, and we look forward to continuing these successful and prosperous relationships for many years to come.
We would like to thank our colleagues from the Rene Egli Center, the Melia Group and the Ayuntamiento de Pajara for their time, thought and commitment in trying to make the event happen this year and we are reassured to know that much of this work can be carried over to the 2023 event, for which preparations are already well underway."
Current information about the World Cup is also always available on: www.pwaworldtour.com
Andreas Erbe
Chief editor surf
