Archive image of the 2019 Paseo Nuevo crossing.
Open waters
A total of 480 participants are signed up to travel the 5.3 km distance that separates Pasaia bay from Zurriola beach
The Bay of Pasaia will witness this Sunday the start of the first open water crossing that has been carried out in Gipuzkoa since the start of the pandemic. Last summer they all had to be canceled and this year only a few will be held, all outside the official long distance calendar of the Guipuzcoan Swimming Federation.
Artzai Gómez and Borja Agote, organizers of the
I Voyage of the Whalers which will take place
this Sunday at 9 in the morning. Departing from Pasaia bay and arriving at Zurriola beach, the 480 swimmers registered for the test will have to go through a
distance of 5,300 meters in a spectacular setting. “We are very happy with the response of the people, there is a lot of desire to make the crossing and there is also a very good forecast for both the weather and the sea for Sunday,” says Artzai Gómez who also highlights the “powerful” security protocol with that will count for Sunday.
5.3 kilometer route between San Pedro and Donostia.
With the number 1 number appears the Biscayan swimmer Andrea de la Hera who last week completed the demanding Capri – Naples crossing of 27 kilometers of distance. As the main rival to win the women’s category, she will also have Itxaso Alonso from Biscay, who finished in an outstanding ninth place in the 5 km test. of the last Spanish Open Water Championship.
The range of favorites is more open in the men’s category in which the young swimmer from Hernani Enaitz Goñi, who has just had a great season in the pool, will face very experienced swimmers such as Adnan Mustafic, Peru Alfaro, Txema Marimón or Mikel Iriondo .
Other crossings
But the
Voyage of the Whalers It will not be the only crossing to be held this summer in Gipuzkoan waters. Two weeks after the test this Sunday will take place the
II San Anton Beer, a journey that premiered in 2019 and that could not make its original route due to bad sea conditions. Iban Aranguren, president of the Getaitri club that organizes the event, explains that registration is now open and that the start will be in groups of 50 swimmers. The departure will be at 10:00 in the morning from Gaztetape beach and, going around the Getaria mouse, you will reach Malkorpe beach, covering a distance of about 2,600 meters.
A week later the alternative to the
Getaria-Zarautz. This year, due to the complications derived from the pandemic, the Zarautz Balea Igeriketa has organized a double appointment with departure and arrival in Zarautz. On Saturday 24 the Zarautz-Mollarri-Zarautz will take place at 5,000 meters while on Sunday the Zarautz-Ubiri-Zarautz will take place with a distance of 3,000 meters.
From CN Easo, Pepe Alonso, assures that his intention is to celebrate the
Crossing the Bay at the beginning of September as usual. “We have started to request some permits and, for now, they have not told us no so we move on,” explains the coach.
Finally, on September 18 the short test of the Flysch could take place, which covers the distance of 2,800 meters that separates Mutriku from Deba. Like the Easo, from Urbat they have begun to carry out the necessary procedures to make the journey and they trust that it can get ahead. At the moment they have thought of limiting the appointment to about 300 participants but it could be extended if the situation improves.
Among the evidence that
The Cruise to the Island, the Txingudi and the Paseo Nuevo will not be organized since the respective organizing clubs have notified the Guipuzcoana Swimming Federation that they will not be able to take place.
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