HISTORY
60’s
At the end of the 60’s, Iñigo Letamendia, co-founder of Pukas, tries surfing for the first time in La Concha Bay in San Sebastián. As the freezing winter arrives and with no type of wetsuits on the market, the only solution is to rub alcohol on their bare bodies in a desperate attempt to ward of the cold. With his long hair and bellbottom pants, Iñigo becomes one of the pioneers of the sport on a national level and is to become forever dedicated to the promotion of this sport.
70’s
In the early 70’s and at the height of the hippy movement, Iñigo and a group of friends from different parts of Spain get together in Cantabria with the idea in mind of making their own surfboards. The stables of Casa Lola, a rural farmhouse in Cantabria, is the birthplace of the first serious attempt at the handmade production of surfboards. It was the spring of 1973. Marian Azpiroz, Iñigo’s wife, age 23, leaves her job as a hotel manager at a well known hotel in San Sebastián and decides to join the new lifestyle; it is time to surf, skate, innovate and have fun… working! She begins making bikinis and boardshorts for her friends is soon unable to meet the demand. The first surf shop is opened in Zarautz, Basque Country, in 1977. Surfing grows and San Sebastián is the chosen place to begin a new era with the energetic appearance of Miguel Azpiroz, Marian’s brother. The new surf shop is called Pukas and marks the beginning of a revolution that will introduce surf contests, sponsored team riders and a new realm of dreams. The name Pukas is chosen in honor of the famous Hawaiian necklaces. The necklaces were made of small shells with holes in the middle eroded away by the salt water, which were often sold by surfers in order to pay for their surf trips. Puka, in the native Hawaiian language, means hole, which in turn has a symbolic meaning understood by all surfers: the tube.
80’s
In 1980 a new surfboard factory is opened in the town of Zarautz, which is soon transferred to larger, more proper facilities in the industrial town of Oiartzun under the name of Olatu (meaning “wave” in basque). Pukas begins to organize surf contests in 1980. This is the perfect excuse to get the entire surf community together, taking place at Gros Beach in San Sebastián. This is a time of partying with your friends, getting together with other surfers from other areas and enjoying the surfing lifestyle. This will lead to bigger and more important events. In 1988 the contest scene moves to Zarautz, becomes an official ASP stop, and in 1989 is awarded by Tracks magazine as the best contest of the ASP circuit and the best party of the year. This same year, 17 year old Hawaiian Sunny Garcia becomes completely integrated into the Pukas family on his first year on the tour in Europe and begins a friendship that will lead them to the conquest of many a title.
90’s
Sunny Garcia is third in the ASP ranking in 1992, ’94, ’95, and ’96 and wins the Triple Crown of Surfing in 1992, ’93, ’94 and ’99. All the while surfing on Pukas surfboards. The ASP contests in Zarautz grow in reputation and Pukas becomes known throughout the world. Sunny Garcia, Damien Hardman, Derek Ho and Taj Burrow are some of the winners of these contests. The last ASP contest in Zarautz is held in 1999. In 1996 Pukas opens surf schools in San Sebastián and in Zarautz. The Olatu factory aims to produce the highest quality surfboards in Europe as well as worldwide. The highest quality materials are used and the best shapers in the world shape their boards in this factory. There are more and more team riders and professional surfers from all over the world who are using Pukas surfboards.
2.000-2.006...
Sunny Garcia wins the ASP World Championship title in 2000 riding Pukas surfboards. He also wins the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing in 2000 and 2004, breaking the previous record of number of victories on the circuit with six. Brazilian Adriano de Souza, one of the youngest WCT riders, joins the Pukas international team. He is said to be world champion material, his radical and fresh surfing is a fact. Every year more and more WQS and WCT riders visit the Pukas factory to order boards for the contests that take place in Europe between August and October. They feel confident riding our boards. Pukas has the strongest team in Europe with people like Tiago Pires, Justin Mujica, Aritz.
INTERVIEW WITH THE FOUNDER PDF
(Courtesy of
- Ask issues to suscripciones@gruposr.com )
60’s
At the end of the 60’s, Iñigo Letamendia, co-founder of Pukas, tries surfing for the first time in La Concha Bay in San Sebastián. As the freezing winter arrives and with no type of wetsuits on the market, the only solution is to rub alcohol on their bare bodies in a desperate attempt to ward of the cold. With his long hair and bellbottom pants, Iñigo becomes one of the pioneers of the sport on a national level and is to become forever dedicated to the promotion of this sport.
70’s
In the early 70’s and at the height of the hippy movement, Iñigo and a group of friends from different parts of Spain get together in Cantabria with the idea in mind of making their own surfboards. The stables of Casa Lola, a rural farmhouse in Cantabria, is the birthplace of the first serious attempt at the handmade production of surfboards. It was the spring of 1973. Marian Azpiroz, Iñigo’s wife, age 23, leaves her job as a hotel manager at a well known hotel in San Sebastián and decides to join the new lifestyle; it is time to surf, skate, innovate and have fun… working! She begins making bikinis and boardshorts for her friends is soon unable to meet the demand. The first surf shop is opened in Zarautz, Basque Country, in 1977. Surfing grows and San Sebastián is the chosen place to begin a new era with the energetic appearance of Miguel Azpiroz, Marian’s brother. The new surf shop is called Pukas and marks the beginning of a revolution that will introduce surf contests, sponsored team riders and a new realm of dreams. The name Pukas is chosen in honor of the famous Hawaiian necklaces. The necklaces were made of small shells with holes in the middle eroded away by the salt water, which were often sold by surfers in order to pay for their surf trips. Puka, in the native Hawaiian language, means hole, which in turn has a symbolic meaning understood by all surfers: the tube.
80’s
In 1980 a new surfboard factory is opened in the town of Zarautz, which is soon transferred to larger, more proper facilities in the industrial town of Oiartzun under the name of Olatu (meaning “wave” in basque). Pukas begins to organize surf contests in 1980. This is the perfect excuse to get the entire surf community together, taking place at Gros Beach in San Sebastián. This is a time of partying with your friends, getting together with other surfers from other areas and enjoying the surfing lifestyle. This will lead to bigger and more important events. In 1988 the contest scene moves to Zarautz, becomes an official ASP stop, and in 1989 is awarded by Tracks magazine as the best contest of the ASP circuit and the best party of the year. This same year, 17 year old Hawaiian Sunny Garcia becomes completely integrated into the Pukas family on his first year on the tour in Europe and begins a friendship that will lead them to the conquest of many a title.
90’s
Sunny Garcia is third in the ASP ranking in 1992, ’94, ’95, and ’96 and wins the Triple Crown of Surfing in 1992, ’93, ’94 and ’99. All the while surfing on Pukas surfboards. The ASP contests in Zarautz grow in reputation and Pukas becomes known throughout the world. Sunny Garcia, Damien Hardman, Derek Ho and Taj Burrow are some of the winners of these contests. The last ASP contest in Zarautz is held in 1999. In 1996 Pukas opens surf schools in San Sebastián and in Zarautz. The Olatu factory aims to produce the highest quality surfboards in Europe as well as worldwide. The highest quality materials are used and the best shapers in the world shape their boards in this factory. There are more and more team riders and professional surfers from all over the world who are using Pukas surfboards.
2.000-2.006...
Sunny Garcia wins the ASP World Championship title in 2000 riding Pukas surfboards. He also wins the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing in 2000 and 2004, breaking the previous record of number of victories on the circuit with six. Brazilian Adriano de Souza, one of the youngest WCT riders, joins the Pukas international team. He is said to be world champion material, his radical and fresh surfing is a fact. Every year more and more WQS and WCT riders visit the Pukas factory to order boards for the contests that take place in Europe between August and October. They feel confident riding our boards. Pukas has the strongest team in Europe with people like Tiago Pires, Justin Mujica, Aritz.
INTERVIEW WITH THE FOUNDER PDF
(Courtesy of
- Ask issues to suscripciones@gruposr.com )
Iñigo in 1970
Iñigo Letamendia
Iñigo shaping
1970
First boards
Pukas contest
Geronimo store
1987
Zarauz Pro 1990
Surf Eskola
Sunny García
Olatu