On the left is Francisco Martín, Councillor for Tourism of the Government of Cantabria, Laura Revuelta and on the right is Francisco Asón, Mayor of Ribamontán al Mar. Photo: Comunica Surf.

Yesterday, Thursday, the star of the first female surfer from Spain, Laura Revuelta, was inaugurated on the Paseo de las Estrellas del Surf on the beach in Somo, Spain. The tribute, said the press release, was due to the fact that Revuelta "is a role model in the surf industry." The Spanish version of the "hall of fame" was launched in May 2017 with the plaque of the former European champion, Pablo Gutiérrez, and seeks to recognize the figures who revolutionized Spanish surfing.

The event was attended by some local and regional surfing legends, friends and family of the surfer. “I feel overwhelmed by this recognition. Although, I really believe this star is not only for me, but also for Zalo Campa, with whom I have always been a team,” said the honoree. “I would also like to share this tribute with all the women who have been pioneers in their fields and who have not had the opportunity to receive recognition like I have now,” she added.

The emotional event was chaired by Francisco Martín, Minister of Tourism of the Government of Cantabria; Francisco Asón, Mayor of Ribamontán al Mar; Carlos García, President of the Spanish Surfing Federation; and Óscar García, President of the Cantabrian Surfing Federation.

Laura Revuelta, 62, began to get involved in sport at the age of thirteen when she met a group of boys from the Sardinero Surf Club. At the age of 15, she secretly began surfing on Somo beach, hidden from her family. At this age, she began to take part in the first local competitions as an organiser. Later, she became the first national surf judge and co-organiser of championships. Thanks to all this, she managed to make a name for herself among men.

She married one of the founders of the Surf Club Sardinero and together they created a surfboard workshop in Cantabria. In addition, they were the pioneers in Cantabria and Spain in opening a surf brand, Xpeedin. Laura Revuelta also left her mark on competitive surfing by being the only woman who participated in the championships in Spain as a competitor in the men's category in the early 80.

On the other hand, another star was also created dedicated to the pioneers of surfing, a group formed by José Manuel Gutiérrez Mecolay, Juan Giribet, Manuel Martínez “Lolis”, the Fiochi brothers, José Manuel Merodio, Carlos Beraza and Zalo Campa.