‘Out on the wave, that’s where you truly learn from your mistakes’
A surfer almost by birthright, Manuel Lezcano has spent the last thirty years riding Lanzarote’s waves — and now he’s shaping the island’s next generation of surfers.
When did the sea first call to you?
It’s in my blood! My father surfed in Gran Canaria and carried on when we moved to Lanzarote. So by the time I was seven, I was already surfing in Famara.
How has Lanzarote changed over the years?
It’s become far more professional. The island hosted World Surf League events — Islas Canarias Santa Pro, Playa San Juan and Famara — in 2010 and 2012. That sparked huge interest and defined an era. Today, the standard is higher, without the overcrowding you find on other islands, and there’s still respect in the water.
Are Lanzarote’s waves part of the island’s heritage?
Absolutely. A few years back, there were plans to lay a huge pipeline near La Santa, home to one of the island’s most surfed waves. We rallied, protested and managed to stop it. A catalogue of waves was later drawn up, and now they’re recognised as sporting spaces. Protected status hasn’t arrived yet, but it’s on the way.
Is there a strong new generation coming through?
Very much so. An incredibly talented generation is coming through — they’ll surpass mine by a long way. Very young local surfers are already competing internationally. I teach kids aged five to twelve at José María Cabrera’s surf school in Famara. Alongside the basics and learning how to handle difficult situations in the water, the onus is on them enjoying themselves.
Is there still a wave you’d love to ride?
In Lanzarote, not many. Perhaps a few at La Santa. Around four hundred metres offshore, waves can rise with faces reaching twenty metres. Spectacular waves with beautiful barrels, breaking cleanly and perfectly. For some time now, I’ve focused on big-wave surfing where specific training is essential, not just to avoid dangerous situations, but to know how to get yourself out of them.
What has the sea taught you that nobody on land could?
You learn a great deal from fellow surfers and instructors on land, of course, but out on the wave, that’s where you truly learn from your mistakes. What you learn when a big wave comes crashing down on top of you, nobody can teach. In my case, one of them wrecked my back.
