Benidorm Cable Ski, “world heritage”

It was the German invention Cable Ski, a 1,000-meter circuit crossed by four towers stuck in the water and a cable that linked them at about five meters above the water. It was powered by a completely soundproof Mercedes Benz diesel engine and was operated by a person, the now legendary Juan Jiménez, who gave departures and arrivals to the skiers. This is how the first ski cable in the world was born and it is in the waters of Benidorm.

It was the time of Mayor Pedro Zaragoza, the one who convinced Franco that the bikini was very good for the coastal towns of Spain, the one who began to take advantage of the largest land speculation in history and the promoter who knew how to convert a fishing village in a cosmopolitan city, where miniskirts, long hair, sports cars, discos… began to be common.

Humberto Armas was evaluating various places to place his cable ski. One of them was Cala de Finestrat, but the winds and the weather added more points to place it in the now legendary Rincón de Loix, on Levante beach, in front of the legendary Nadal and Brisa hotels and in front of the island of Benidorm, where Fishermen flock to squid fishing. A corner where the most luxurious and expensive buildings in the world have been built on its dunes, where El Dátil, a very popular fishermen’s bar, or La Almadraba, a Beach Club used at the time, were located.

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The Cable Ski was one more attraction that Benidorm offered, which was growing little by little. Thousands of visitors did it for a few days to be able to enjoy skiing in pleasant waters and under an enviable temperature, since Benidorm enjoys a microclimate like no other in Spain, and thousands of others discovered it on their first trip and did not forget it. because the following year they tried the experience again.

Those four towers joined by two cables, resting on the sea floor and held by two winds each, are already “Cable Ski heritage of Benidorm, “heritage of humanity”

In the beginning, when the west wind blew (very rare in those latitudes) and at night the sea was rough, bringing the motorboats that were moored to buoys near the coast to the beach, a black Volkswagen watched those towers from a ramp. which was enabled to go up to the Voramar chalet. He reversed, turned on his headlights, directed them towards the sea and a burly blond man, binoculars in his hands, scanned every meter of the cable ski. Those were the beginnings of water skiing in Spain. An invention that millions of people have gone through and that spread to Marbella and Los Ángeles de San Rafael, in Segovia and thanks to it there are now a couple hundred around the world.

We had to start learning to ski and Humberto and his wife Edith began to give initiation classes to all the foreigners who went up to a small platform of no more than 30 square meters that was located in a rocky and safe place. The couple spoke several languages ​​and groups of Dutch, English, German and French raffled off the hours to take some lessons.

The Spaniards of the time, almost all of them from Madrid, who had seen the great business opportunity that would be to buy a plot of land for four dollars, buy a villa on the beach and wait for time to revalue the land, timidly came. to the platform to become interested in this new sport to practice in the waters of their summer resort. Even Manolo Escobar, who did not know how to swim, put on a life jacket and with the help of his wife Ana, managed to ski his first 300 meters, which was the distance from the start to the first turn. That day there was champagne for everyone.

famous

Many famous people tried their luck on those waters that Humberto had managed to retain in the retinas of the most humble and the richest. There was Gloria Gaynor, who performed live at Penelope at night; Rod Stewart also skated on the warm waters of the cable ski and even an unknown Julio Iglesias came by for a couple of days to see what it was like while the Benidorm Song festival was being held.

From there, Ignacio Gordillo, former prosecutor of the National Court, Eduardo Fernández, current member of the Board of Directors of Real Madrid, and renowned doctors who have now gone a bit into the reserve, came out skiing and doing very well. It was the generation of 1956, the one that received a sporting education between those four towers. From there came the first Spanish endurance skiing champion, Jaime Ronda, who was trained by Humberto Armas and Roland Pokele.

There was no nightclub owner who did not visit the cable ski in the middle of the afternoon to relax before opening the doors of his business. There was a bilingual discussion between the CEOs of Penelope, Cap 3000, El Corral, Pachá… a discussion that took place most of the time on board the rescue boat since many of them fell into the water before completing the return and There went the Micalet, a wooden fishing boat used for inshore fishing that acted as a broom boat to return those who could not finish the 1,000 meter lap to the platform.

Benidorm was not just about discos and party rooms, it also had other ways to spend your holidays. The cable ski was filled during the summer months from 8 in the morning to 8 in the afternoon, without interruptions and dividing the time equally between beginners and veterans. It was one more reason for society to get together, for young people to make friends and, above all, for parents to control their children.

During the 70s, cable skiing made a name for itself in the world thanks to the international competitions that were organized between countries. At that time there were three modalities: slalom, figures and jumps, although in Benidorm the platforms for jumping were tested several times and they did not work. The most “geek” thing there was were round skis to turn around on themselves.

Now, almost 60 years old, things have changed a lot. Now, in the 21st century we can enjoy Wakeboard classes to release adrenaline, two skis to ride and enjoy the waves, a monoski to catch buoys at intrepid speeds, figures to do classic style acrobatics, a Kneeboard to enjoy skiing on your knees. or sitting and Wakeskate, which resembles the popular asphalt Skates, but with a possible much more pleasant fall.

It is already turning 60 years old and it is still there, 100 meters from the shore and with the same system as in the 60s. An incredible way to enjoy the sea alone, as a couple or as a family and we have it right there, in Benidorm , nerve center of the Costa Blanca. The Valencian Community continues fighting to face the sea.