No widescreen TV could compete with such a sporting view, the World Waterski Racing Championships were played out on a panoramic course in front of Puerto Colon marina wall with a crystal clear La Gomera looming large in the distance. Mind you the seating was a bit tough on the bottom, after several hours perched on the rough edge of a large rock I seem to now have three buttocks, if I break wind it’s in stereo.

I was impressed that no one slipped down the gaps between the rocks, my new notepad (paper not electronic) did elude my grasp and slip to a watery end but people of all ages were clambering to get the best vantage points. The racing was fantastic, there must be a collective term for water skiers, maybe a balance of. As the midweek action hotted up I got to meet more skiers, drivers, observers, and the barmy families and friends who had paid a fortune to follow their heroes from far flung homes in Australia, New Zealand, and the USA. They were a great bunch, the harbour wall had evolved into groups, GB being one of the largest and noisiest, some with awnings to protect them and their merchandise, the costs of this sport are in the tens of thousands so they need all the help they can get.

Australia led the charge from the start and by the third day were ready to clinch some of the titles. Jack Harrison won the Junior Boys title, Rachel Stapleton took the Junior Girls and in the seniors Trudi Stout was a stylish champion of the Open Women while double World Champion Wayne Mawer oozed class as he stormed ahead of the field. The racing was brilliant to watch, up to 30 boats in action at a time and passing close enough to appreciate the power of the engines and the control and skill of the skiers. It’s not just a matter of hanging on to the tow rope, the skier has a harness around their lower back to take the strain and steers with the feet and one hand, easier said than done with the water being churned up by all around them. The unseen heroes are the boat driver and the observer who sits facing the skier to relay instructions.

A few boats suffered technical problems and had to pull out but thankfully rider accidents were few. GB were in the wars, Harvey Robinson came adrift and needed an overnight stay in hospital as bruised vertebrae ended his tournament, Marisa Alongi ended up in a leg brace after falling with her knee extended, she was hoping it was just a bone fracture rather than ligament damage but the final verdict will have to wait until she is back in Edinburgh. Even one of the GB supporters picked up a broken leg after a fall at the hotel, I’m assured that no drink was involved.

Saturday arrived with glorious sunshine for the final days racing, we had been threatened with a tickle from the tail of Hurricane Humberto but it veered away. The crowd had grown again, and the boat containers in the pits were taking on an ever more homely feel, some had mini generators, perfect to run a fridge and keep the beer cold. It sent a little shiver through me to see the skiers dipping into wheelie bins full of ice and water, one minute in, one minute out and repeat five times, good for the aching muscles I’m told, maybe it could be a new craze in the clubs of Las Americas?

The Women and Men  F2 titles still needed to be decided. Sarah Teelow fought off her nearest rivals and Ben Gulley made sure the Australian flag dominated with a sixth title. Wayne Mawer was already crowned but he rounded off a superb days racing by winning a thrilling tussle with Todd Haig of the USA. There were still official presentations to be made, just trophies, no money prizes, these are dedicated sportsmen and women. The whole event was a huge success despite patchy advertising, maybe waterski competitions could become a new addition to the Tenerife calendar.

With a sweet stroke of his boot Luismi Loro lifted the pressure building on CD Tenerife, a goal after three games and 37 minutes, and didn’t he take it well. It was already looking a better performance despite the frustration of a cynical Barcelona B side that hit the floor and milked every tackle, brush, or stray breeze. The long awaited goal came from a free kick out on the right, Loro wafted the ball over the defence and goalie for a deserved lead.

Aridane was the architect of this encouraging 2-2 draw, we have missed him so much, holding up the ball, taking the pressure off players, and providing a focal point he was magnificent. Tenerife had most of the first half play, the midfield still looked a bit creaky but with Suso getting stuck in Loro back to something like his best there was cause to feel hopeful. Suso clipped keeper Masip’s fingers and Aridane went close with an opportunist chip that had the goalie scrambling.

Nieto was Barcelona chief tormenter up front but he spent so much time rolling around in mock agony he made a mess of the chances that came his way. It was clear we weren’t going to get anything from the referee, his booking of Aitor Sanz just before the half time whistle was a disgrace brought on by Espinosa making three square meals of minimum contact. At least we had that Loro strike to ease our sense of injustice at half time.

It all came crashing down as the second half opened, the introduction of Denis Suarez gave Barcelona a new dynamic and they were encouraged by loose home defending. Espinosa finished off a good move started by the former Manchester City forward, five white shirts surrounded Espinosa but he still got through with ease to score. Then a few minutes later Roman picked out Nieto unmarked at the far post and he posted the second goal. It was a test of spirit now and Tenerife responded well, Ricardo on for Cristo put in a good shot and Moyano overlapping well found the keeper with his shot.

Ayoze replaced Kike Rivero and provided the key pass to Aridane who brought the ball down with his chest before making a mug of Planas and cracking a lovely goal. The ref compounded his blinkered view of the game by booking Aridane and Ayoze after more play acting by Barcelona. Ayoze had the best late chances but couldn’t quite control a shot on the turn and had his second effort deflected away off a defenders legs. Llorente was the last minute hero getting back to foil a sitter for Barcelona in front of the post – again unmarked. Maybe coach Alvaro Cervera will try some experiments in Wednesday nights Copa del Rey game at Eibar, we have no great expectations in the cup so there’s nothing to lose.

Water skiing always makes me think of the opening sequence for The Persuaders, the 1970’saction series starring Roger Moore and Tony Curtis. They were skiing along with nonchalant ease as they waved to each other, they looked like they had time to butter a scone each and make a few wisecracks. Swap Monte Carlo for Tenerife and we had the real thing arrive at Puerto Colon, no gently raised eyebrows and smoothly gelled hair but lots of speedboats like growling beasts and 180 dedicated sports enthusiasts. None of your overpaid pampered stars here, their skis might whiz over the waves at up to 180 km per hour but there feet are firmly on the ground.

A trip down to Puerto Colon a week ahead of the races found few signs of the drama to come, a couple of days before the off and it was a little better but in Los Cristianos there was hardly any awareness of the great event. I met Karen Brooks GB captain (below) and she guided me through the busy but good natured pit area introducing me to skiers, drivers, and observers for the boats. It was clear to see that this was a costly affair to run but they finance themselves with what little sponsorship they can muster.

An invite to the GB team meeting at the Hotel Isabel in Fanabe impressed me even further, the mood reminded me of my days following GB Ice Hockey, very limited outside finance but a great spirit of camaraderie and lots of hard working organizers making it all tick. The friendly rivalry between countries was also apparent, New Zealand flags hung of a few balconies overlooking the swimming pool, the notice board showed that the USA team meeting was in one of the competitors rooms, GB had reserved the large saloon bar – one nil to the Brits. There was a buffet and a few cheeky beers laid on and with the families and supporters the team of 34 was swelled to well over a hundred.

On to the parade on the eve of the competition, the plan was for all the teams to meet up at the pits in their best coordinated outfits and a boat from each country would travel up to Adeje with two open top buses for a presentation with the mayor. The teams all scrubbed up well and posed for group shots, the Spain team was typically casual in miss matched shorts and t-shirts, the USA team were a bit late getting dressed and were still adjusting themselves on their boat as it pulled out. Australia were very smart and the GB team looked good with the ladies looking stunning in their red dresses.

I got to chat to some more of the competitors, the New Zealand gang underlined the dedication being poured into the competition by telling me about their long trek to Tenerife. The team flew in from Auckland to Hong Kong (11.30 hours), then to Zurich (12.50 hrs) and finally in to Tenerife (4.30 hours). That was nothing compared to the three month journey their boat, The Beast (below) had to make in its container. Their trusty steed came via the Panama canal, Germany, France, and possibly even Narnia and Atlantis.

Cocktails were provided at the El Galeon sports centre but the competitors were very limited by the early morning start the next day and the fact that random drug testing is taking place throughout the competition. I will update you with more from behind the scenes and don’t forget your free copy of The Tenerife Weekly each Friday for more on the racing.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from a mainly young and newly recruited CD Marino team but what I got was bags of spirit, hard work and plenty of promise. Relegation was the inevitable end of a disjointed campaign last season so it’s back to basics in the Tercera Division.

Aaron is one of the survivors from the drop and he prompted a lot of the early moves from right back. Marino looked lively from the off against CD El Cotillo, one of the fancied teams of the division. Josito saw his chance after five minutes and burst into the visitors box but Pedro upended him and the ref gave a penalty. Captain Airam struck it true to beat the keeper but the ref made him take it again – no problem, it still hit the back of the net.

Pulido made a strong dash in from the right and crossed the ball to the far post, Roberto Carlos racing in got a boot to it but it flipped up over the bar rather than doubling the lead. Eslava found himself free in front of goal but headed weakly into the hands of keeper Omar. Cotillo started to come into the game more and ended the half the stronger but the home defence was well organized and cqlm and were able to cope. Roberto Carlos nearly opened the second half with a cheeky goal, his lob caught the goalie out but cleared the bar. Cotillo recovered their composure and put pressure on Marino, Pablo showed his strength, battling with Isaac to deny the away forward a chance at goal.

Balduino, last seasons main striker came on and was in amongst the action shooting just wide of the Cotillo post. Aaron did well to get through the visitors defence but couldn’t quite tuck the ball back into the goalmouth for a clear shot. Marino looked comfortable but the ref was getting a bit whistle happy and disrupted their flow, a second yellow for Airam  was a big blow but his sending off just seemed to increase the determination of the gutsy Marino side. Cotillo staged a late charge, Alberto showed the summer hasn’t blunted his goalkeeping reflexes, and weighed in with a series of close saves. The win was well deserved, I’m looking forward to seeing this team grow as the season goes on.

NOT SO CHEERY FOR CD TENERIFE

We weren’t that bad, before CD Tenerife fans make me have a check up from the neck up after the 2-0 defeat at Mirandes, let me add …for much of the game. The defence looked solid with Moyano magnificent again and Raul Camara doing a great job at left back instead of Raul Llorente. There were plenty of chances created without any end product and that’s what is proving so costly, eventually it wore the team down. I have never seen despair rip through a team as fast and as deeply as it did after Aridane came on after 60 minutes – once it became painfully obvious that he was nowhere near fit all the heads dropped, there would be no goals on this day.

Mujika scored the home opener after 73 minutes almost in slow motion, a chip over the static defence found him wide and able to slot the ball in the goal. The 91^st minute goal from Muniz was even easier as the Mirandes player danced through a clutch of switched off defenders. In between those markers Sergio Aragoneses worked wonders to hold back the tide with continued quality saves.

The elephant in the dressing  room is the lack of a main striker, Aridane at his best will make a big difference but how much harm will be done by then. Ayoze was best out of it today, we don’t want him ground down, and with someone to feed off he still has a glittering future. Guillem Marti was shocking, The Invisible Man he did nothing and once again showed he is only good for a short burst. The fans support will be vital next Sunday at home to Barcelona B – Keep Calm – and pray for a goal.

If you haven’t got a map of Tenerife etched on your brain let’s just imagine that our wonderful island is a deep chip pan with the north east corner being the pan handle. My latest assignment was trying out a new sea taxi from Nautica Nivaria serving Anaga National Park, a walkers delight in that north east area beyond Santa Cruz.

The address for the pick up point was a bit misleading so after an early rise I changed Titsa buses in Santa Cruz and got the 910 to San Andres (above). The journey took me through the new 560 metre tunnel under the Via Litoral, part of the long revamp of the area between the port and the city. It’s a good few years since I ventured up that way so I had a quick look around, the sea promenade has had a bad few years with big storms twice crashing over and across the road to threaten buildings. A barrier out at sea didn’t calm the next storm waves and the argument still rages, I was thinking this as a few random spots of rain plopped down. There are always oil tankers moored just out to see here and sure enough I counted six of them lurking.

The large orange beach of Las Teresitas is just a short walk beyond so I had a quick peek, despite the dark clouds there were plenty of bathers waiting for the sun to put his hat on. Controversy has stalked this beach for years over alleged corruption at the planning stages but it is a lovely spread for the good people of Santa Cruz to enjoy. By now I had asked directions and found I was way off beam so I grabbed a bus back towards Santa Cruz and got off half way at the Darsena Pesquero, a vast old dock that has seen better days. One of the old chaps fishing for scraps pointed me in the right direction and I found the entrance to my awaiting boat at Sector Five – Cueva Bermeja.

The boat trip was fantastic complete with blazing sunshine but that’s destined for blog.tenerife.co.uk , two hours later I was back on solid ground windswept, wet and exhilarated and as Santa Cruz didn’t look far I decided to walk along the port service road that runs parallel to the main road. After a good 20 minutes hike I realized that the exits I needed were all locked up and I was being funneled down to a busy road subway, luckily a half open gate offered me an alternative to retracing my steps and I squeezed through. No walk is wasted and as I passed the various docks I found some great old machinery at the gateways, the first was an old steam engine the La Jurada, made in Germany and used from 1927 to 1965 to transport huge rocks that helped to build the Santa Cruz ports. Further along I found a steam crane from Grafton & Sons of Bedford dating back to 1920 and put to good use locally from 1934 to 1956.

That little swell of patriotism was further boosted when I passed the La Palma steam ship, an old friend from several previous visits. This former mail ship between the Canary Islands was built in Middlesborough and is nearing the end of a big restoration project. Past and present sit in close proximity to each other in Santa Cruz, over in the main port the latest cruise ship visitor, Oceana, was looking majestic and dripping in money. Later touring around the heart of Santa Cruz I noticed many British passengers among the 2,000 on board the 10 decks were topping up the tills of local coffee shops and bars. All this mooching about didn’t leave me much time to check up on some of my usual points of call in the capital but I can do that next trip – unless I get sidetracked of course.

Maybe we should have bought some of the religious icons on sale among the Dorada at the Oasis bar, divine intervention in front of goal would have been welcome. We are going to have to fight for every point this season and should have punished Hercules during their 52 minutes with 10 men.

The five changes from last week included debuts for Salva Ruiz at left back and Borja Perez up front, both were ok but didn’t offer anything out of the ordinary, hopefully there is more to come from both. The same can be said for much of the team this week, promotion means that everyone needs to step up their game, and if they want inspiration they should take a hint from Cristo Martin. The midfielder has stepped up two divisions in the last two years and has taken it in his stride. Maybe he did miss the best chance with a poor header after the half hour but his work rate and desire are always good.

Inigo Ros is sorely missed in midfield and Aridane can’t return soon enough, Suso will welcome him back with a big hug, he saw much of his hard work on the wing wasted as his crosses weren’t pounced on. Hercules didn’t add much to the game themselves, a little curiosity value from Chile international Campos Toro playing with MCT as his shirt name – never seen that before. Assulin could have shortened his name to Ass after his crunching foul on Carlos Ruiz got a deserved red card, he was helped off the pitch with a hefty shove in the back from a team mate not impressed by his stupidity.

Tenerife tried to freshen things up as the second half wore on, Oscar Rico replaced Salva Ruiz and Chechu took over from Suso but the problem was still the end product. Aitor Sanz could have grabbed some glory but placed his shot past the post just before Ayoze arrived for the sluggish looking Loro. Pamarot tried to encourage CDT, his loose back pass had his goalie Falcon scrambling but there was no waiting to punish them.

A draw was a fair result, the 8981 crowd accepted it as part of our new learning curve, at the moment though it’s hard to see where the goals are coming from, the first win will make a big difference, can we have it next week at Mirandes please.

All over Los Cristianos cats were purring and licking their whiskers as the smell of freshly cooked fish wafted in from the old quay. There’s always room for another celebration in Tenerife and with perfect timing the Feria del Pescador arrived just ahead of the Virgen del Carmen celebrations to honour the patron saint of the fishermen.

The old beach was still busy after another scorching day and it was a full house in the marina and port. Many of the fishing boats were moored up after a busy day and the Fred Olsen and Armas inter island ferries were straining at their anchor chains near the harbour wall. The idea of the new fair was to show off some of the history and lifestyle of the industry that gives Los Cristianos much of its unique character. There were photos of the catches being landed, charts showing the different fish they capture and the minimum size restrictions placed on them.

A stage had been set up on the quay and the traditional musicians and dancers were limbering up for action. Many of the visitors had already noticed the cooking area where mountains of bread rolls were being cut open and two huge paella pans were poised ready for action. My taste buds were twitching too but first of all it was time to enjoy the music and dance, it set a lovely relaxed tone with the sun shining on the sea behind them and families lapping up the sand and beach to the side. The ladies swirled their dresses and the gents looked dapper in their waistcoats, those thick leggings must have been a bit warm though.

Back at the food station the pans were sizzling away with sardines and tuna steaks as the Canarian potatoes, tuna salad and mojo sauce took their place on the serving table. The queue soon stretched back a fair way but I joined it and had two generous plates full of delicious ready to devour. Large wine barrels made sturdy tables but many people sat along the edge of the beach enjoying the fruits of the sea as another group of musicians took over the stage. Soft drinks and beer served from a small bar surrounding the scaled down statue of the Virgen complimented the food. Back at the serving area the queue stretched even further but the loaves and fishes showed no sign of letting up – maybe it was a miracle. What a wonderful way to spend a sun kissed evening, roll on next years event.

We could be kind and say Raul Llorente was trying to share the love and give Sales a cuddle but it looked more like a wrestling maul than his first booking earlier in the second half. This second clumsy block in injury time got him a red card and gave Alcorcon the green light to press for the winner from a crazy penalty call on Bruno leaving CD Tenerife to lose 1-0.

Caution seemed to be the game plan in this first match back in the Segunda and it was working well, Tenerife packed the midfield leaving Ayoze to use his pace to chase half chances up front. Even Chechu and Oscar Rico tucked well in rather than exploit the wings and the Tenerife defence looked solid with Bruno and Carlos Ruiz continuing their pairing in the centre. Neither keeper had a lot to do, Sergio Aragoneses punched clear from a corner and easily picked up a weak shot from Juli and at the other end Gimenez watched Bruno head a corner over and a Chechu free kick elude Ayoze as well as his defence.

The second half brought drama as a body check from Cristo saw Sanz tumble and smack his head on an advertising hoarding. There was a ten minute delay as an ambulance cut across the pitch to bring him round and then take him away for safety checks. Chechu had the best chance when he turned smartly in the box and fired low but the goalie reacted well to save. Then Raul Llorente had his first close encounter with Sales stopping him in his tracks with all the subtlety of an oversized wardrobe. The left back had another scare when a cross hit him on the shoulder, the penalty appeal was quickly dismissed.

Guillem took over from Ayoze late on before an extra 11 minutes injury time kicked in. Raul’s red changed everything, Mora curled the resulting free kick just over the Tenerife bar and a few minutes Bruno dropped his body to block the ball and an attacker let through by Chechu. Even though the defender ended up with his back to the Alcorcon player the ref gave a penalty and Juli picked out the bottom corner of the net. The home side were close to increasing the win as Afonso smashed a shot off the underside of the bar but it’s been a good week for late escapes for Alcorcon so they wont lose any sleep over that near miss.

Hercules are the visitors in Santa Cruz back at a normal time of 6pm and new left back Salva Ruiz will get his chance to stake a claim for Llorente’s place.

High visibility orange jackets were the uniform of the day for the motorway walkers heading to Candelaria but our pilgrimage by car passed them on the way to La Orotava to worship the boys in the pink change strip. It was Teide Trophy time again and late replacements Rayo Vallecano were run ragged as CD Tenerife beat them 5-0 and that hardly reflected their dominance.

The ground in its magnificent setting is always a good place to visit, especially after a few quick Doradas at our regular bar down the road. Tenerife came out with their tails up and Suso was unstoppable down the left, he bulldozed his way through two defenders and nearly skittled me over as well. The midfield was working well with Cristo Martin the creative spark and Ayoze’s speed and enthusiasm up front provided the cutting edge.

It took just 20 minutes for Ayoze to latch on to a pass from Loro to open the scoring. Rayo were struggling to create any decent chances, a wild looped shot over the goal didn’t need any attention from Sergio Aragoneses. Rayo’s six most experienced players were subbed after 35 minutes and Tenerife stepped up the pressure. Ricardo found Ayoze who shot wide and another Suso break ended with a teasing cross that Raul Llorente just failed to reach with his head. Suso charged again and this time he found Cristo who turned his markers and made it 2-0. The evening sun had set and a damp mist moved in by half time, combined with the pitch sprinklers it left perfect conditions for Super Mario to do his floundering fish impression on the grass.

Tenerife made their own raft of changes at the break without losing their rhythm and Chechu nipped in for the third goal to kill off Rayo. It would have been easy to relax but Tenerife showed a positive attitude and continued to exploit Rayo’s slow defending. Aday Benitez finished well for a fourth and even a change of goalie couldn’t stem the tide. Guillem got in on the scoring act 15 minutes from the end and had all the time in the world to find the net.

The La Orotava pitch is open on all sides and the final whistle was the cue for many of the 3,500 crowd to spill onto the playing surface and get photos and autographs with the Tenerife players. The presentations were a bit too laid back this year and players weren’t sure whether to go up or not, Ayoze got a man of the match award and captain Sergio picked up an old cracked trophy but was relieved of it as soon as he got down to pitch level again. As for the fans, we were still a little shell shocked by the ease of the victory and trying to reign in ambitious thoughts of the Segunda season ahead.

A goalie a goalie, my kingdom for a goalie, well maybe it wasn’t that urgent but a lot of interest had been voiced about getting a more experienced back up CD Tenerife keeper to shadow Sergio Aragoneses. What better time then for our two young stoppers to show their best qualities.

Roberto was first in the spotlight in the home friendly with Osasuna and he did his reputation the world of good with a couple of strong early takes. The Primera visitors didn’t look that good but somehow sneaked an 11^th minute lead through Ariel and wouldn’t you know it the telling pass was supplied by Mr Popular Marc Bertran. The former Tenerife full back and captain was roundly booed at every turn after he bailed out as we slid into Segunda B, I always thought he was over rated and towards the end of his time in the blue and white he often looked uninterested.

Chechu is another player that some fans, myself included, saw as at best a fringe player in the Segunda, he has had a lively start to the friendlies and opened up Osasuna after 19 minutes with a determined run down the right before planting the ball in the net to level. Roberto made a decisive intervention of a high cross just after that and ended the half with an inspiring double save.

Despite lots of changes Tenerife kept their shape in the second half and soon grabbed a winner with another classy goal, this time it was Oscar Rico after good work from Ayoze. Osasuna had little to offer after that, the 4,285 crowd was left to practice chants and songs and admire the latest B team prospect Amorin who made a sound second half debut.

Onto Wednesday and a trip to El Fraile to play Ibarra. Meeting in the little bar opposite the ground we got stuck into the owners Dorada stocks, well at one euro a bottle it would have been rude not to. Ground entry was just eight euros and we got in Justin time for the presentations and kick off. This time Nauzet the third choice goalie was between the sticks and from the start he looked secure and confident. Cristo Martin took just three minutes to open the scoring with an opportunist goal and things were looking good. After ten minutes the Guardia Civil stopped the in ground bar from serving beer, that didn’t go down well with anyone, if it had been in the UK we could have bleated about having our human rights infringed.

Ibarra were keen and put pressure on Tenerife, after 30 minutes Roberto was tested and made a great save followed soon after by a strong punched clearance. Kike Rivero, already looking a good signing, reacted well to pounce for our second goal just before the half time whistle. With dry throats at our end of the ground Gordon did the decent thing and sneaked out to buy up the canned beer supplies from a local shop and sneaked them in over the fence. A sneaky beer always tastes better and we were soon in good voice again, just in time to see sub Suso latch on to an Ayoze pass for our third strike of the night. That was about it for the game and we streamed out with the rest of the 600 crowd at the end happy with another winning game with no goals conceded. Let’s hope this form continues into the serious matches.