The Wall feat. Jamie Hancock and friends

El Muelle – the harbour wall is a windsurfing spot at El Medano on Tenerife. The waves break in front of a harbour wall and all the locals are out there, when the waves and trade winds are on. Jamie Hancock, Adam Lewis and Christopher Friis had a great session at the wall during the PWA contest. After a good result at the Tenerife contest, Jamie Hancock broke his fibula and had to cancel his participation at the event in Denmark. We have caught up with Jamie in the interview below to ask him about the spot “the wall” and if he will be fit for Sylt. The video is really nice and you can expect rides, frontside wave 360s and a few jumps mixed with scenic impressions.

Jamie Hancock: “After leaving a strange no wind event in Pozo, I ended up in hanging out in Tenerife with Chris and Adam. With the PWA contest on, the only place to free sail was the harbour wall further down wind from Cabezo. The wall can be a lot of fun and this clip captures a couple of good days there.”

El Medano, Tenerife with great waves at El Muelle, the famous harbour wall

Filmed: Jamie Hancock | Bartek Jankowski
Edited: Jamie Hancock
Location : El Medano, Tenerife

INTERVIEW WITH JAMIE HANCOCK

C7: Is “the wall” your favorite spot in El Medano?

Jamie Hancock: I usually end up in Tenerife at the peak season so really it is more about avoiding the crowds. Both normal Cabezo and the wall are great fun and when things feet a bit crowded up at the main break then it is great to be able to sail down wind and catch more waves to yourself. I’d say I have had more fun days sailing at the wall than Cabezo on average, but both are great spots and each offer something different. 

C7: With which conditions the spot works best?

Jamie Hancock: Any wind and swell at Cabezo will work at the wall. Low tide tends to get slightly better waves but when the swell is bigger like during this years PWA event, it can be fun at all tides.

C7: Is the spot difficult and would you recommend it for wave beginners, too?

Jamie Hancock: Absolutely. This is what makes Tenerife such a great place for intermediates. You can launch from the windsurf centre in calm flat conditions and sail up to the harbour wall, then if you want to go a bit further up wind, to Cabezo. Because it breaks on a point you are able to venture into the waves gradually and can start by coming in on the shoulders of the waves. If you fall off then you just come into the harbour and flat water, whereas Cabezo can be a bit more unforgiving.

C7: You are sailing with Adam Lewis and Christopher Friis in the video, do you sail with them much in the year?

Jamie Hancock: Yea, Adam is a bit of a local hero, in Cabezo he rips, so it is great to sail with him. And I spent a lot of time with Chris, particularly in Cape Town each year. Chris is still young and improving every time he sails. He needs to work on his competition sailing but is definitely a guy set for a good future. It was good fun hanging out with both of them this summer and nice to put together a video with a couple of our sessions.

C7: You are not competing in Klitmoller because you have injured your leg? How are you doing now? Will you be fit for the event in Sylt?

Jamie Hancock: Yep, I broke my leg. It is actually the lower fibula which is the smaller bone of the two. The larger bone supports about 85% of the weight so am quite lucky that one is fine. It was a clean break with no displacement with no surgery required. My foot gave way when running and all my weight went onto my leg and something had to give. I’m starting to put a bit of weight onto it with a protective boot but is too early to consider windsurfing in Sylt unfortunately so have had to withdraw my entry. I’m hoping for a full recovery by Chile, but will see how it is going if the Maui event is confirmed. 

Jamie’s broken bone