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Extras from
Tenerife
Everything you
didn't know you needed to know ... |
#4: Ham & Sangria to finish
The traditional ending to tournaments here in Tenerife sees all
the guests partaking in some after-match refreshments,
Spanish-style.
After we'd been to see the Governor a couple of days ago (see
#3), Otilio and Rogelio Terron went to buy the
ingredients.
For the Sangria - fruit, wine, brandy, martini and sugar,
prepared a couple of hours before and topped up with Orange and
Lemon fanta just before serving, and for the ham a very
expensive leg of Spanish Black Pig.
After mixing the Sangria, Rogelio unveiled his ham cutting
equipment, and we were ready to go.
"Ham cutting is a real art," he says, "and it takes a lot of
practice to make the best out of a ham like this. It's important
that the ham is eaten immediately after being cut, even waiting
20, 30 seconds after means it loses some of its flavour."
Rogelio is an expert at it, and many of the guests had clearly
been served by him before as they queued up for their delicacy,
and we can report that both were absolutely delicious ...
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Saturday was 'Constitution Day' a national holiday where all the
shops were shut, and no doubt
lots of celebrations like the fireworks as seen from the tournament hotel
in the early hours ... |
L-R: Damasa
Arteaga (Tenerife Sports Council), Ricardo Melchior (Governor),
Rogelio Chantada (President RFES), Jordi Bercedo (President FCS),
Otilio de la Rosa (VP FCS) |
#3: Old and New in Santa Cruz
The "politico" is very important here in Tenerife, and
tournament director and Cannary Squash Federation President (FCS)
Jordi Bercedo has made a point of getting all the top
brass involved in this biggest ever tournament on the Island.
On the first day we had Santa Cruz's Director of Sport over to
meet the players, the President of the Spanish Squash
Federation, RFES, Rogelio Chantada is over here for the
duration, and on quarter-finals day we made a trip to the
historic government building (each of the Canary Islands has its
own administration, with Tenerife amazingly having its own flag
which is identical to the Scottish Saltire) to meet the
Governor of Tenerife.
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man himself Sr Ricardo Melchior, has been very supportive
of squash on the island during his tenure, and in fact was
instrumental in providing the funding for the building of the
squash centre some ten years ago.
Since then the government has supported every squash event on
the island, and the guys chatted about how great it was to have
some of the top players here and plans for future events. Well,
so I'm told anyway, they might as well have been speaking
Scottish as far as I'm concerned ...
Then we went to have a look at one of Santa Cruz's newest
attractions, open for just two weeks, the spectacular
ultra-modern TEA, Tenerife Espacio de Las Arte (www.teatenerife.es).
Designed by Jacques Herzog, Pierre de Meuron and Virgilio
Gutiérrez, it looks pretty special, provides some great spaces,
and will soon be housing some of the finest works of art.
As ever, we'll let the pictures do the talking
(more
in the old and new gallery).
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The tournament hotel (the Pelinor, you can just see the yellow
sign on the right)
is set in the pretty pedestrian area of Santa Cruz, which looks
lovely at night ... |
#2: Poster Mania
In the office here they have a great collection of tournament
posters, event photos and signed shirts from previous
tournaments and exhibitions - mainly Canarian and Spanish, but
from around the world too - which add a real 'squashy'
atmosphere to the place.
Here's a few samples ...
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There's a great history of squash here in the islands,
especially in Tenerife where this is the tenth year of their PSA
/ WISPA event, so you're sure to recognise a few faces ... |
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#1: The Venue
If you remember our coverage of the Internationaux de France
from Paris, the venue - both the traditional and the glass
courts - were actually inside a football stadium.
Well, here in Santa Cruz we have a slightly similar setup,
although the courts here are just outside the local football
stadium.
Set in the centre of the city, the 'Centro Insular de Squash
de Tenerife' comprises a 25 metre swimming pool with four
glassback courts set alongside its length, but some five metres
down with six rows of seats covering all four courts.
There's some offices, fitness rooms and other facilities oc
course, but that's the basic layout, so, you cal walk between
them and watch the swimming and the squash, whichever takes your
fancy ...
Oh look, it's easier to just show you the photos !!!
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