SURFBOARDS SHOP En “Pukas Surf is a family driven company based in the Basque Country and has built a reputation for making quality high-performance surfboards and custom bikinis. Mixing a global view and a local knowledge, the group has been able to feed their surf addiction since they first handshaped a surfboard in 1973. Along the way came the surf shops, the surf contests, the friends and the parties, the surf Factory, the profesional Pukas surfers, the good and the bad, the surf schools and the stokedness; Surfing at its finest. Pukas is surf and always will be.” The True Story The True Story. 1979 – 1989 “The True Story” is an article that was published at the official Magazine of the 1989 Pukas Pro contest. It was part of the editorial content and tried to show the crowd what Pukas was all about. More than 20 years later, those words reflect where Pukas is coming from, but more importantly still; it reflects the soul of the company today. This is exactly how it was published and you can read the full story here. Meet the founders Iñigo Letamendia Founder and visionary// Being attracted to try the unknown, surfing in San Sebastian’s “La Concha” on a borrowed surfboard at age 20 changed his life. Being married to Marian Azpiroz with a Deusto College Diploma in Tourism and a stablished job at a renowned hotel as Chieff Commissary, Iñigo discovered another path. He joined 3 good friends to pursue a way of life that seemed a better choice in life; making surfboards. It was 1.973, a time when spanish dictator Franco was still ruling Spain, and where growing your hair, live in a hippy communa, party, do drugs and enjoy the shit out of your days was both fun and scary. Marian Azpiroz Founder and Co-CEO// Marian Azpiroz (1948) was born in a tiny little basque village called Aginaga (Basque Country, Spain). 2nd oldest daughter out of 7 children, her family was driven by the force, strength and hard-working philosophy of a big-hearted man dedicated to the angula. She fell in love with Iñigo Letamendia while in college, married him and worked with such success at the hotel where Iñigo was Chieff Commissary that she was quickly upgraded to Director of the hotel. When Iñigo left San Sebastian to manufacture surfboards with a bunch of friends, Marian decided to follow him a year after. And while girlfriends’ of other surfers would lay down to the sun, Marian sewed bikinis out of the house courtains. Then it was the boardshorts, then surfboard covers and the rest is history. Miguel Azpiroz Founder and Co-CEO// Once an avid anguilla worker based in his hometown Aginaga, Miguel Azpiroz (1.957) becomes a key third partner by 1.979. As a member of an unofficial 2nd generation of surfers from Spain, Miguel was under the influence of his brother in law and peers, plus international surfers such as Mark Richards and Shaun Tomson. With his inclusion by 1.979, Marian’s younger brother Miguel joined Iñigo & Marian’s periplus. These three characters were the seed which planted the foundations of Pukas and promoted the surfing culture in San Sebastian, Basque Country and beyond. With the opening of a new surfshop in the city, surf contests, surf schools and a vision for quality surfboards and pro surfers, Miguel has led a movement that feels even stronger today. Inheriting Inheriting. 1973-1978. Before Pukas was born, a handful of friends, Iñigo Letamendia included, decided not to follow the stablised path of their lives. They settled a commune at a house called Casa Lola in Somo (Cantabria, Spain), and gave birth to the most intense, prolific, creative and inspiring time of their lives. “Tablas Santa Marina”, (1973-74), “Jeronimo Surfboards” (1975-76), “Geronimo Surfboards” (1977-78) are key when understanding not just the spirit of Pukas and the roots of its values, but the starting point of a movement that defined the spanish/european culture. Tablas Santa Marina // 1973 – 1974. This is the beginning of it all. 1.973 had Iñigo Letamendia, Carlos Beraza, Raúl Dourdil and Merodio working for a drem at Casa Lola (Somo, Cantabria). Jeronimo Surfboards // 1975 – 1976. Casa Lola became a surf commune known by all kinds of local and international surfers. Something big was in the making. Iñigo and Jay Schodrowski… Geronimo Surfboards // 1977 – 1978. Iñigo partnered a new era with good friend Gonzalo Campa. They changed the J for the G and kept the dream alive. Pukas Surfboards // 1st logo ever. 1979 Pukas was born with the inclusion of Marian Azpiroz’s little brother; Miguel Azpiroz. Iñigo, Marian and Miguel are still rocking this thing with their children and a dedicated staff. Contests Pukas Pro. // 1980 – 1999 The Pukas Pro contests were raw. Late check-ins due to the wild parties, running of the bulls at the beach (yes, it’s true), “harrijasotzailes” in the podium (ask Tom Carroll how the stone lifters wowed the crowd)… The Pukas Pro contests were awarded as the raddest comp of the year by surfers and international press. Click here. Factory Olatu, the Pukas Factory. // 1988 – tomorrow Long before this factory was born in 1988, Pukas had built surfboards in Casa Lola, at sawmills, hamlets and garages all over the places. Today, The Pukas factory, known by the name of Olatu, stands tall in the industry hosting the very best of international surfboard builders. It’s placed between Mundaka and Hossegor in the nearby area of San Sebastian and Zarautz (Spain’s Basque Country). Find it here. Contact About Legal notice Stockist Pukas Surf Shop Pukas Surf Eskola PUKAS SURFBOARDS PUKAS CLOTHING PUKAS SURF SHOP PUKAS SURF ESKOLA We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More