OCP Cable Park in Barcelona. A magical Wakeboard sport in Castelldefels
The Olimpic Cable Park is an extremely beautiful place, comfortable and very convenient for Wakeboard practice. It is located on the outskirts of Barcelona, specifically, at “Castelldefels”, a quieter and more accessible zone than Catalunya.
It is the most visited Cable Park of the region. The reason is that it has everything to be there an entire day, a weekend or just a couple of hours with the purpose of trying out something different.
It has a circuit with 5 pulleys and a speed from 24 to 60 kilometers per hour. Although, normally, Wake practice is done between 30 and 32 Km/h.
Cable Park history:
50 years ago a German citizen built the first Cable Park of the world, in the Spanish city of Benidorm. At the time, it worked more as a tourist attraction than as a sport. Later, it grew and developed into what it currently is, and there are even obstacles in order to perform more evolved tricks inside the Cable Park.
Since 5 years ago, the OCP exists in Barcelona. They decided to take advantage of the lake from the Olympic canal where the rowing and canoeing contests took place in the 1992 Olympics.
They currently attract more than 15,000 Wakeboard practitioners per season, and they can slide over the Olympic waters of Barcelona.
For beginners:
Those that have no prior experience of the sport or are a bit “out of shape” can best get involved in Cable Park through Kneeboard. It consists on kneeling and letting it carry you (like a slide). In this way they can comprehend the curbs and adapt in subtle way to the cable Park. After 4 or 5 turns, they could use the skis and, finally, the board.
Another option that also applies to children and beginners is going on the small Cable Park, where only one person fits and a monitor goes with them. The speed lowers or increases depending on the rhythm of the person. This is more exclusive and is with reservations only which you can make at: http://www.olimpic-cablepark.com/
Obstacles at the OCP:
In order to start with the obstacles you should have a certain level, so that you can try them. The minimum is doing several consecutive turns in the OCP maintaining control of the board. There are standard obstacles and special ones, which are new to the place and very technical.
OCP Cable Park is only cutting edge creating new obstacles. They have all been made by a Catalan blacksmith that also practices Wakeboard and they are very well developed. The opening of some of these obstacles has taken place through competitions that take place during their anniversary, in June.
Competitions:
They have the federal competitions of Catalunya and Spain. These are the more classic to the sport. They also have alternative competitions which are more radical. These include music, a DJ and diverse tricks in the obstacles.
Furthermore, this 2017 they went on an internal tour for those that belong to the OCP club. “The idea is to integrate the community of those who come every day and to encourage a good vibe. The prize for this tour is a season entrance valued in 1,000 Euro”, said Alejandro Milla, coordinator of the place.
Packages:
People normally come to try for one or two hours. There are daily packages, others are for concurrent clients that wish to pay per season 20 to 30 hours and there is a special one for those that wish to come every day.
The implements can be rented here, including the neoprene, but the athletes that come every day usually have their own board.
The companies can also organize a “full day” for their employees. Even bachelor parties have been had at the OCP.
Wakeboard school:
For children from 6 to 16 years of age there are clases. These are given twice a week with 9 classes throughout the semester. These are offered on Saturdays and Sundays with 13 students maximum and they are separated in two level 1 groups (6-11 years old) with decreased speed and level 2 (11-16 years old).
Services:
They have a nice and delicious restaurant, with a variety of food for the athletes and they also sale beer and quick snacks for the visitors.
There are also hot water showers and lockers in order to put everything safely away while enjoying the activity.
About my experience:
Wakeboard is a fascinating sport filled with adrenaline that I had only known sailing through a boat. Being at a Cable Park where you have constant speed was a new and extremely positive experience. You can get better faster at this spot and learn new tricks more effectively because all the conditions are there in a permanent way.
The vibe of the Cable Park is incredible, there are people that travel doing cable car routes throughout Europe and the world. This is why the OCP receives athletes from different regions and countries, all with the same passion.
I will definitely come back in order to share an amazing time while I improve my stability and strength at Wakeboard.
Thank you so much for receiving me, you guys are the best, see you on the water! Adeu
