When Mundaka is on, it’s tough to beat. Photo: YouTube//Screenshot
Mundaka is a ridiculously perfect wave. Arguably the finest left-hand point break in all of Europe, the wave is nestled on the coast of the Spanish Basque Country. This month, just before Christmas, Mundaka did what it does best, and Kepa Acero, Natxo Gonzalez, Erwan Blouin, Pierre Rollet, Boris Romann, and a few other lucky souls were there to experience it.
Mundaka used to be an annual stop on the tour when it was the ASP. All of the elements come together to make it what it is. It’s long walls honed to near-perfection when a strong northwest swell is in town. A light south wind to blow the froth off, and a sandbar hiding just beneath the surface that’s sculpted to perfection by a river situated perfectly do pump out just the right amount of sand in just the right places.
For three days in December, Mundaka was absolutely firing. The first day came with a nine-foot swell at 15 seconds with west-southwest winds. The next day, the swell bumped up to around 12 feet at 17 seconds with a breath of a south wind. Then the third day dawned with 12 feet at 18 seconds.
“Yeah, it’s fair to say this was probably the best week Mundaka has seen in the last 10 years,” Oxbow wrote on its YouTube page. “Our Basque surfers Kepa Acero and Natxo Gonzalez wouldn’t have missed it for the world, joined by Erwan Blouin, Pierre Rollet, Boris Romann and Arnaud Mestelan.”
