Spanish Kiteboard Championship
From 8th to 12th July, the Spanish Kiteboard/Kitesurf Championship will be taking place at Famara. The spin-off sport combines surfing with parascending, with the board allowing riders to skim the waves and pull off some serious aerial acrobatics.
There will be several levels for entrants, ranging from infants to masters, with freestyle, race and wave categories. Infants are up to twelve years old, juniors span the age range between 13 and 17, seniors are from 18-39 and masters is for all participants over 40. There will be three prizes for each category and level.
The competition will take place at Famara on the right hand side of the beach after the Norwegian bungalows.
For more information visit Kite Zone Lanzarote
Wednesday 8th July
08.00 – 09.30 Confirmation of Participants
10.30 Veterans and Seniors Race
12.00 Veterans and Seniors Men’s Freestyle
13.30 Veterans and Seniors Women’s Freestyle
15.00 Veterans and Seniors Race
16.30 Veterans and Seniors Men’s Wave
18.00 Veterans and Seniors Women’s Wave
Thursday 9th July
10.00 Veterans and Seniors Race
11.30 Veterans and Seniors Men’s Freestyle
13.00 Veterans and Seniors Women’s Freestyle
14.30 Veterans and Seniors Race
16.30 Veterans and Seniors Men’s Wave
18.00 Veterans and Seniors Women’s Wave
Friday 10th July
10.00 Infants and Juniors Freestyle
11.30 Veterans and Seniors Men’s Freestyle Double
13.00 Veterans and Seniors Women’s Freestyle Double
14.30 Veterans and Seniors Race
16.30 Veterans and Seniors Men’s Wave Double
18.00 Veterans and Seniors Women’s Wave Double
Saturday 11th July
10.00 Infants and Juniors Freestyle
11.30 Veterans and Seniors Men’s Freestyle Double
13.00 Veterans and Seniors Women’s Freestyle Double
14.30 Veterans and Seniors Race
16.30 Veterans and Seniors Men’s Wave Double
18.00 Veterans and Seniors Women’s Wave Double
Sunday 12th July
10.00 Infants and Juniors Freestyle
11.30 Veterans and Seniors Men’s Freestyle Double
13.00 Veterans and Seniors Women’s Freestyle Double
14.30 Veterans and Seniors Race
16.30 Veterans and Seniors Men’s Wave Double
18.00 Veterans and Seniors Women’s Wave Double
19.00 Award Ceremony for the Competition
Souvenir, Souvenir at the Cesar Manrique Foundation
A new exhibition was inaugurated on 25th June at the Fundación César Manrique under the title of Souvenir, Souvenir – The Tourist Collection.
The show is split between the Fundación and the Museum of History and Anthropology in Tenerife, with both sites using webcams to provide visitors with a glimpse of the other exhibition space.
Featuring items that tourists buy as souvenirs from the islands, it is as much an interrogative look at the interactions between the local population and visitors. It explores the whole concept of packaging and selling items as cultural artefacts, as souvenirs become a ‘zone of contact’ between locals and travellers.
Turning the popular conception of souvenir shopping on its head, it examines the idea that items bought by tourists have usually been created to fulfil this consumer need, rather than being bought as examples of existing local handicraft. And that indigenous craft work is increasingly only able to maintain a useful role within local communities because of its value to visitors.
The exhibition runs until 18th October at the Fundación César Manrique at Tahiche, which is open from Monday to Saturday between 10.00 and 19.00 and on Sunday between 10.00 and 15.00. Entrance costs €8 for adults and is free for children under 12.
Teguise Celebrates The Virgin of Carmen
During July celebrations get underway in the municipality of Teguise in honour of Nuestra Señora del Carmen, the patron saint of fishermen.
The saint is revered throughout Spain, with numerous fishing communities participating in ceremonies and festivities during July. The 16th July is the actual Saint’s day and in Teguise, this will be marked with a religious procession through the town’s streets starting at midday.
The evening before the procession, 15th July, sees a variety of activities happening in Teguise, including a tapas competition, selection of Miss and Mr Teguise, gifts and a piñata. A range of additional events occurs during the first half of July, from 1st to the 19th, with highlights being the Acatife Folklore Festival taking place on 10th at the Convent of Santo Domingo at 21.00 and outdoor film screenings for all ages in the municipal marquee from 20.30, also on the 10th.
Summer Activities in Costa Teguise
From the second week of July and during August, there will be daily activities taking place in Costa Teguise including Batucada percussion playing between 11.00-13.00 every Monday, Canarian Bowls every Tuesday from 18.00-20.00, Workshops every Wednesday between 11.00-13.00, Theatre every Thursday from 19.00-21.00 and Films every Friday from 21.00 hours. All activities will be taking place in the Neighbours Association Building in Centro Comercial Nautico (just opposite the Costa Teguise Tourist Information Centre).
Circus Comes to Arrecife
The Great World Circus is in town between 3rd and 16th of July at the Recinto Ferial in Arrecife (the large pavilion in front of the Cabildo of Lanzarote building). The Circus offers traditional entertainment in the form of flying trapeze artists, clowns and a variety of animal performances, including tigers, white lions, elephants, horses and bears.
The trapeze acrobats include separate groups, the ‘Flying Tontitos’, the Russian ‘Sidelnikov Duo’ and members of the ‘Messoudi Family’ – with each group vying to perform the most breathtaking stunts in mid air. Trampoline artists will also form part of the spectacle, with the ‘6 Jorges Brothers Troupe’ excelling at this, whilst an aerial dance is brought to life by ‘Miss Tatiana’ as she is suspended by wires from the big top. And of course there will be a selection of clowns providing some slapstick humour.
Music and Film Season at El Almacen
Later in the month a selection of recent music-themed movies will be screening at El Almacén in Arrecife. Including the excellent documentary on Joy Division, made by Grant Gee in 2007. Charting the birth of this seminal band in 1976 in Salford, Manchester and the influence they had upon the emerging Factory sound, brainchild of Tony Wilson. In depth interviews with the remaining band members are accompanied by interesting footage and explore the mythology that has grown up around Ian Curtis, lead singer until his suicide in 1980.
‘Joy Division’ will be screened on 30th July at 21.00 at the Cine Buñuel, El Almacén, Arrecife. Tickets are €3.
As part of this cycle of movies there will be a showing of ‘Beautiful Dreamer: Brian Wilson and the story of “Smile”’, a similar documentary style film which explores the record that never was. Made by David Leaf in 2004, the subject matter covers the former Beach Boy’s unfinished solo album, which was finally released in the same year as this film. Begun in 1966, the work was never completed, thanks to a variety of difficulties encountered by Wilson, not least among these his mental breakdown. The film follows the culmination of this project, which was finally recorded as it was intended at the Royal Festival Hall in London, 2004.
‘Beautiful Dreamer’ will be shown on 23rd July at 21.00 at the Cine Buñuel, El Almacén in Arrecife. Tickets are €3.
Patti Smith is the artist under scrutiny in Steven Sebring’s film of 2008, entitled ‘Patti Smith: dream of life’. An interesting movie in its own right, this is not a biography of the influential singer-songwriter, nor is it a documentary. It is Patti Smith in her own words, as activist, musician and muse, covering every aspect of her life, from her involvement in the art scene of Manhattan in the 70’s and in American punk to her anti-Bush political rhetoric. It also deals with the events in her personal life that have had profound effects on her work, such as the untimely death of her brother.
‘Patti Smith’ will be showing on 22nd July from 21.00 at the Cine Buñuel, El Almacén in Arrecife. Tickets are €3.
The Music and Film season also includes a screening of ‘The Wrecking Crew’ on 15th July, released last year and exploring this influential musical phenomena of session musicians. Notable artists involved in the Wrecking Crew included Mike Deasy, Glen Campbell, Tommy Tedesco and Chuck Berghofer to name but a few. Most famously it was the Wrecking Crew who helped Phil Spector achieve his ‘Wall of Sound’ and who aided Brian Wilson’s Beach Boys create Good Vibrations and California Girls.
