HISTORY OF KINGS AND WORLD CHAMPIONS AT THE GRAN CANARIA FRONTÓN KING

There’s less than a month to go until the highly anticipated final event of the IBC World Tour kicks off. The Gran Canaria Frontón King 2024 is packed with excitement, and the world titles in the Men’s division and Junior Men’s division will be decided.

To get everyone pumped for the amazing show ahead, let’s take a look at the kings and queens of the Frontón from its start in 2013 up until last year, 2023.

We’ll also highlight the world champions in the different divisions who have been crowned at the Frontón King. Nowadays, it’s one of the most awaited global events, and everyone wants to be the king of the Frontón and take on the beast.

FRONTÓN KING 2013 GRAN CANARIA, GÁLDAR. The first Frontón King event is organized.

The Frontón King was born in 2013 after the sudden cancellation of the IBA World Tour event in Gáldar.

Three Canary Island brands, made up of a group of good friends, came together with passion and motivation. SecretPoints, Dharma Company, and Link Store, with great support from the Ayuntamiento de Gáldar and Red Bull, teamed up to celebrate this first local event, which featured many international riders. With a tight budget but a lot of enthusiasm and hard work, the first edition of the Frontón King took place. It was a humble championship that surprised everyone, as viewers could watch the event from anywhere in the world thanks to live streaming. It featured international, national, and local riders and marked the beginning of an event that promised to be one of the best shows in the world.

FRONTÓN KING 2013 KING / MIGUEL MACÍAS (Canarias)

In this edition, the local tradition was born that the champion and king of Frontón King isn’t really the king until they lift a bunch of bananas weighing between 110 and 150 pounds for 10 seconds while the crowd counts. They also have to hold a Canary puppy with the king of clubs card. This symbolizes the town of Gáldar and the area around El Frontón, as well as all the farmers who work hard every day to grow one of the most prized treasures, the Canary banana.

FRONTÓN KING 2014

To kick off the second edition, Epic Events was born, the name that brings together the founders of the Frontón King, united by their love for bodyboarding, the Frontón, and a dream: to grow this sport, create a fan base, promote camaraderie among participants, and make Gran Canaria a global destination for water sports. And while the Frontón fulfills dreams, a new king arrives—this time it’s the promising Guillermo Cobo, who put on the most extreme show in the water. FRONTÓN KING 2014 KING / GUILLERMO COBO (Canarias)

GRAN CANARIA FRONTÓN KING 2015 This edition of Frontón King was a game changer. The Cabildo de Gran Canaria became the main sponsor of the event through its Tourism Board, giving birth to the Gran Canaria Frontón King Pro.

GRAN CANARIA FRONTÓN KING 2016 In 2016, with help from the Cabildo de Gran Canaria through the Tourism Board, the Insular Sports Institute, and the Ayuntamiento de Gáldar , the Gran Canaria Frontón King Pro became part of the World Bodyboard Circuit.

GRAN CANARIA FRONTÓN KING 2017 The fifth edition of the Gran Canaria Frontón King came with two more world titles to be claimed in Gáldar. In 2017, the Frontón wave, the best wave on the planet for bodyboarding, crowned champions not just in the Men’s Division, but also in the Women’s Division and Junior Men’s Division. This special edition introduced the Dropknee category, one of the most spectacular, adding even more excitement to the competition.

GRAN CANARIA FRONTÓN KING 2018 Six years later, the massive impact of the Gran Canaria Frontón King was undeniable. Riders from all over the globe, packed stands, and thousands of spectators from a hundred countries were following the competition minute by minute. This event was recognized as one of the Major Events of Gran Canaria, thanks to the Cabildo de Gran Canaria and its European Sports Island project.

GRAN CANARIA FRONTÓN KING 2020 When a wave has the power of the Frontón, not even a global pandemic can stop it. In 2020, the Gran Canaria Frontón King became the only sporting event held in Gran Canaria during the COVID-19 health emergency. A strict safety protocol and extreme health precautions made it possible. Athletes enjoyed the competition to the fullest after a whole year without events.

GRAN CANARIA FRONTÓN KING 2021 In 2021, the World Circuit made its comeback to the Frontón, which had the honor of crowning, for the first time in its history, the junior world champion. The young rider from Cantabria, Luis Tausía, achieved this feat, also being crowned as the King of the Frontón. It was undoubtedly the best final in recent years, with packed stands and incredible conditions, and Pierre Louis Costes took home the championship title. The Gran Canaria Frontón King is, without a doubt, one of the best shows in the world. KING JUNIOR 2021 / LUIS TAUSÍA (Spain) KING OF THE FRONTÓN 2021 / PIERRE LOUIS COSTES (France) LUIS TAUSÍA (SPAIN) / IBC World Tour World Champion 2021

GRAN CANARIA FRONTÓN KING 2022 Ten years. A whole decade of hard work, effort, and success. The successes of the Frontón King are also the successes of the riders. For such a special occasion, the Frontón King threw a big party. Live music, DJs, and a skateboarding championship turned the coast of Gáldar into a sports spectacle to celebrate that the Frontón wave championship, ten years later, is at its peak.

MICHEEL YANCCE (Peru) / JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPION 2023 IBC World Tour

There’s no better way to wrap up this report than with these questions:

• Who will be the new Kings of the Gran Canaria Frontón King in 2024?
• Who will be the new World Champions of the IBC World Tour 2024?

For all the info, check out the IBC World Tour and Frontón King social media channels.

www.ibcworldtour.com

www.frontonking.com

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