The venue is El Frontón in Gáldar on Gran Canaria. The wave lies tucked away between banana plantations and two fishing villages, and spectators watch from the top of the cliff directly above the water. According to the event website, El Frontón is considered Europe's most powerful wave. For a competition day to take place, rising to high tide, a long swell from the north-west and an offshore wind must all coincide.
The format comprises 14 waiting days and six competition days. The organisers select the best days within this timeframe based on sea conditions. The event app allows you to track scheduled days, heat order, live results and the site map. In the sample view of the app, a confirmed day begins at 8:00 with admission; the judges' briefing follows at 8:30, and the men's repechage starts at 9:00.
El Frontón has been the venue since 2013 and has evolved from a local competition into the final of the World Series. The winners' ceremony follows a tradition unique to Gáldar: the champion lifts a banana stalk weighing between 50 and 70 kilos and holds it aloft whilst the audience counts to ten. This is accompanied by a puppy of the island dog breed and a playing card, the King of Clubs, as three symbols of Gáldar.
The spot is around 45 minutes from the airport. For October, the event website quotes air temperatures of 24 to 28 degrees and a sea temperature of 22 degrees, and recommends a 3/2-millimetre wetsuit.
