Waves for everyone
Peru offers waves for everyone: beginners, intermediate, and advanced longboard riders alike surfers. Máncora, the largest left hand point break in the world, located in the northern coast of Peru, deserves special mention. In addition to this, the greatest left-handed wave in the world is to be found at Chicama, which is over 4 km long.
Swells are generated far south and most of the spots get consistent offshore winds. The large number of surf spots make it easy to find uncrowded waves.
Surfing is a very popular activity in Peru; it has produced world wide champions such as Sofia Mulanovich, 2004 female world champion and Luis Miguel “Magoo” De La Rosa ISA World Masters Surfing Championship 2007 leader. Lima, the capital of Peru, is also very attractive to surfers because of the variety of its waves.
Although the birthplace of modern surfing is associated with the Hawaii islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean the first Peruvian settlers have tried to ride the waves for fish since ancient times.
Today, surfing enjoys great acceptance within Peruvian society thanks to the worldwide success of its many national representatives. Long ago, surfing was deemed as an sport for the “elite” with a few spaces on newspaper articles, some minutes on the radio, an ever-present daily sea report on Double Nine Radio and scarce television interviews. Nowadays, surfing has found a place in the hearts all Peruvians and it currently has gained more exposure, having its own space on TV: Surf Peru, a program delivered through CMD, Magic Cable channel 3.
Every summer, the beaches of Peru fill with surfing children, youth, adults and even pets. During winter, surf academies make their appearances to new surfers preparing for next summer. Peru has become the obligatory point of passage for various surfers around the world. Peru is, after Brazil, the second more important country in the region in this sport.
The amount of surf shops has increased near beaches or in big cities. Many artisan and industrial shops are making headway in a market that becomes more competitive every day. A surfboard, which had not previously cost less than $300, can now be purchased for $50. To achieve all this, however, Peruvian surfing had to go through many stages.
Pre-Inca age
The mythical origin of surfing has two versions: one that indicates its beginnings in Polynesia, and one indicates the sport began on the northern Peruvian coasts. The latter is based on pottery of the pre-Inca Moche culture, which apparently shows a man on logs, trying to traverse the waves. These ceramic pieces can be found in major museums in Peru.
Although the latter is one of the most widespread versions, neither of the two versions have been confirmed. However, the issue of Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl confirmed there was contact between the ancient Peruvians and people from Polynesia. Therefore, it is not uncommon that the history of surfing is connected with Peru and Polynesia.
Caballitos de totora are reed watercrafts used by Peruvian fishermen for the past 3,000 years, archaeologically evidenced from pottery shards.
Named for the way they are ridden, straddled (‘little reed horses’ in English), fishermen use them to transport their nets and collect fish in their inner cavity. The name is not the original name as horses were not introduced to South American until after the Spanish arrived in the 15th Century. They are made from the same reed, Scirpus californicus, used by the Los Uros people in the Lake Titicaca region.
Fishermen in the port town of Huanchaco famously, but in many other locations practically, still use these vessels to this day, riding the waves back into shore, and suggesting some of the first forms of wave riding. There is currently a minor debate in the surfing world as to whether or not this constitutes the first form of surfing.
Early days of modern surfing
The first major incursion of surfing on Peruvian beaches was in the 1930′s when Carlo Dogny was invited to Hawaii for a tournament. It was in Hawaii that he met Duke Kahanamoku, the founder of modern surfing, who taught him the rudimentary techniques to master the waves.
When World War II took place, Dogny had to return to Peru. In 1942 he founded Club Waikiki 2, and though it started out as just mats facing the sea, it was the first club for the exclusive practice of surfing in Peru. Today, Waikiki is one of the most famous and exclusive clubs of Lima. The first National Surfing Championship in Peru took place in 1950. Since then, there have been more than 30 tournaments.
Evolution
Since the championship, won by Felipe Pomar, surfing began to spread to other latitudes of Lima and Peru. In the 1970′s, the resort of Ancón opened north of Lima, and in the 1980′s came San Bartolo and Punta Hermosa in the south. In those two decades, surfing not only spread along the Costa Verde and the beaches around Lima but extended to other beaches in Peru, arriving in La Libertad, Lambayeque and Piura. Peruvian waves were dominated by intrepid youth as Magoo de la Rosa and other surfers of the early years; these new young people looked the sea as a friend and not as an obstacle to overcome.
During the 1990′s, surfing underwent a major takeoff in the creation of the Latin American Surfing Association (known by its acronym ALAS). This association served as an important showcase for the new batch of Peruvian surfers.
The Pan American Championships in ALAS helped Peruvian surfing definitively take off internationally. At the same time, the South American championships, largely dominated by Brazil, became a new sample to the Peruvian delegation, who were just winning some dates in both competitions.
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The Peruvian Paso or Peruvian Horse is a breed of light pleasure saddle horse known for its smooth ride. It is distinguished by a natural, four-beat, lateral gait called the paso llano.
Smooth-gaited horses, generally known as Palfreys, existed in the Middle Ages, and the Jennet in particular was noted for its ambling gaits. Peruvian Pasos trace their ancestry to these ambling Jennets; as well as to the arabic Barb, which contributed strength and stamina; and to the Andalusian which added style, conformation and action.
Horses arrived in South America during the Spanish Conquest, beginning the arrival of Pizarro in 1531. Foundation bloodstock came from Spain, Jamaica, Panama and other areas of Central America. Importations increased after 1542, when the Spanish created the Viceroyalty of New Castilla. This later became the Viceroyalty of Peru, an important center of Spain’s New World colonies in the eighteenth century.
Once in Peru, they were used primarily for transportation and breeding stock. In the north of Peru, the vast size of sugar and cotton plantations meant that overseers needed to travel long distances, often taking days to cross the plantation. In the south of Peru, the arid deserts that separated settlements required sturdy, strong horses. In both cases, smooth-gaited horses with good endurance were required. On the other hand, Peru did not develop a livestock-based economy, and thus did not need to breed for the speed or agility characteristic of stock horses.
Over time, Peruvian breeders kept the bloodlines clean and selectively bred primarily for gait, conformation, and temperament. They wanted strong, hardy animals that were comfortable to ride and easy to control. Over four centuries, their dedication to breeding only the best gaited bloodstock resulted in the modern Peruvian Paso.
A decline in the use of the Peruvian Paso horse was seen in the southern part of Peru in the early 1900s, following the building of major highways that allowed motor travel to replace the use of the horse. Many of the major breeders in the area gave their best horses away to peasants living in the nearby quebradas (valleys). It was in one of these quebradas that breeder Gustavo de la Borda found the horse that was to become the most important modern sire in the breed, Sol de Oro (Viejo).
The Peruvian Paso continued to flourish in the northern regions because it was still needed for transportation on the haciendas. This changed with the harsh Agrarian Reforms instituted by the government of Juan Velasco Alvarado in the late 1960s that had a devastating effect on the Peruvian Paso horse within Peru. Major breeding operations were broken up and breeding stock was lost. Because interest in the Peruvian Paso horse was growing in the United States and Central America at the same time, many of the finest Peruvian Paso horses were exported, leading to a period where it appeared the Peruvian Paso horse would fade in its homeland.
The past thirty years have seen a resurgence in the Peruvian Paso horse’s fortune in Peru. The annual National Show in Lima is a major event in Peruvian cultural life. The Peruvian Paso has been declared a Patrimonio Cultural (Cultural Heritage) of Peru in an attempt to shore up the breed within the country. There are now laws in place that restrict the export of national champion horses.
Peruvian Paso horses are noted internationally for their good temperament and comfortable ride. As of 2003, there are approximately 25,000 horses worldwide, used for pleasure riding, trail, horse shows, parades, and endurance riding.
Appearance
The horse is medium sized, usually standing between 14.1 and 15.2 hands tall, with an elegant yet powerful build. The Peruvian horse has a deep chest, heavy neck and body with substance without any trace of being hound gutted in the flank area. A low set, quiet tail, clamped tightly between the buttocks is a vital quality. Stallions have a broader chest and larger neck than mares, and are known for their quality temperament. The coat color can be varied; and is seen in chestnut, black, bay, brown, buckskin, palomino, gray, roan or dun. Solid colors, grays and dark skin are considered the most desirable. The mane and forelock are lustrous, fine and abundant. White markings are acceptable on the legs and face.
Gait
Instead of a trot, the Peruvian Paso performs an ambling four beat gait between the walk and the canter. It is a lateral gait, in that it has four equal beats and is performed laterally — left hind, left fore, right hind, right fore.
The Peruvian Paso performs two variations of the four-beat gait. The first, the paso llano (a contraction of Paso Castellano), is isochronous, meaning that there are four equal beats in a 1-2-3-4 rhythm. This is the preferred gait. The second gait, the sobreandando, is faster. Instead of four equal beats, the lateral beats are closer together in a 1-2, 3-4 rhythm, with the pause between the forefoot of one side to the rear of the other side is longer.
Peruvian Paso in motion
This characteristic gait was utilized for the purpose of covering long distances over a short period of time without tiring the horse or rider. The gait is natural and does not require extensive training. Purebred Peruvian Paso foals can be seen gaiting alongside their dams within a few hours of their birth.
The gait supplies essentially none of the vertical bounce that is characteristic of the trot, and hence posting (moving up and down with each of the horse’s footfalls) is unnecessary. It is also very stable, as the execution of the gait means there are always two, and sometimes three, feet on the ground. Because the rider feels no strain or jolt, gaited horses such as the Peruvian Paso are often popular with riders who have back trouble.
Termino
A unique trait of the Peruvian Paso gait is termino — an outward swinging leg action, originating from the shoulder, in which the front lower legs roll to the outside during the stride forward, similar to a swimmer’s arms. Individual horses may have more or less termino. High lift or wide termino is not necessarily a sign of a well gaited horse; in fact it may be detrimental to a good gait.
Brio
Brio refers to a horse’s vigor, energy, exuberance, courage and liveliness; it automatically implies that these qualities are willingly placed in the service of the rider. Horses with true brio are willing workers. Their attention does not wander but is focused on the handler or rider, and thus they are quick to react and fast to learn. Horses with brio attract attention, and combined with the stamina of the breed have reserves they can tap to travel long distances for many hours.
Breeders and judges look for Brio, often translated as “spirit,” but this does not capture the complexity of the term. Brio describes a somewhat contradictory temperament, which combines arrogance, spirit, and the sense of always being on parade, with a willingness to please the rider. Brio is an intangible quality of controlled energy that creates a metamorphosis in ordinary-looking horses and is an important trait of the Peruvian Paso.
Pisco and Caballo de Paso
In order to promote pisco, Peru’s, grape brandy producers participate in an activity called “A day’s ride, which takes place in the city of Ica south of Lima, and the involving more than 100 Chalanes this year.
“The quality of Ica pisco has transcended the borders of our country, so this is an excellent opportunity to promote our drink,” said Marco Herrera, a member of the Association of riders of Ica, which organizes the show.
He explained that the ride, is part of the activities on the first anniversary of this organization created to promote the Peruvian Paso horse, the National Cultural Heritage.
“We also celebrate a year of organizing these rides. In this opportunity owners, enthusiasts, horse breeders and 108 Chalanes”, he said.
He said producers will pisco tastings during the fellowship luncheon organized for the occasion.
“In Ica, the issue of Peruvian Paso is closely related to the pisco, so the toast will be made only with this drink,” he said.
Participants will depart from the resort of Huacachina towards the main square of Ica and end in the residential La Angostura, in the Hotel Las Dunas, which will host the lunch box includes a show with Peru.
According to the schedule, the Chalanes made stops at shopping centers so that the audience enjoy the show.
El Paso horse, a species native of Peru. The race is protected by Decree Law 25919 of 1992.
Marinera National Dance of Peru
Marinera is a coastal dance of Peru, generally called the “National Dance of Peru.” Marinera is a graceful and romantic couple’s dance that uses handkerchiefs as props. The dance is an elegant and stylized reenactment of a courtship, and it shows a blend of the different cultures of Peru. The dance itself has gained a lot of recognition and is one of the most popular traditional dances of Peru. Ever since the 1960s, during the month of January, in the city of Trujillo a National Contest of Marinera Nortena is held.
Varieties of Marinera
Different schools and dancing styles of the Marinera exist, based on location. There are Marinera dance academies all over Peru, and competitions are frequently held. The most important competition is the National Competition of the Marinera (Concurso Nacional de Marinera) held during the National Festival of the Marinera (Festival Nacional de Marinera), held in Trujillo, every January.
The three main variations are the Marinera Limeña, the Marinera Norteña, and the Marinera Serrana. Sometimes the Marinera is danced with a Chalan mounted on a Peruvian Paso (The horse dancing, and the Chalan directing it)
Marinera Limeña
This Marinera is elegant and a little slow-paced in comparisson to other variations. The dance can be interpreted in low or high tones. The Marinera of contrapunto or “canto de jarana” usually consists of three Marineras, Resbalosa (Slippery), and a succession of “fugas” (Escapes).
Nowadays, the Marinera Limeña seems to be becoming overshadowed by the Marinera Norteña, because of its popular qualities. Nevertheless, the dance still has a small number of fans that dance it during October fests or during the anniversary of Lima.
Marinera Norteña
This Marinera had its origins in the Tondero of Piura. It acquired characteristics of the Marinera Limeña, and soon enough it became a new variation of the dance. The dance itself tends to be quick-paced and though not as “elegant” as the Limeña, it can also be very stylish. Even though the dance originated in the Northern coasts of the country, it has become quite popular throughout Peru.
It is thanks to that popularity that the Marinera is considered the National Dance of Peru, along with the Peruvian Waltz.
In Marinera Norteña, the man wears shoes, while the woman dances completely barefoot. With constant practice women are even able to dance barefoot on very hot pavement and rough surfaces, as the soles of their feet are well seasoned and toughened up.
Marinera Serrana
This Marinera is typical from the highland and mountain regions of Peru. It usually has a minor tone and is characterized by a slower movement. This marinera is also repeated twice, and then is followed by a “fuga de huayno”. The second part is more sentimental than the first one.
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- Lima, Jul. 12 (ANDINA). Peru is consolidating as a strategic food supplier for the world thanks to its microclimates, trade openness and privileged geographical location in South America to make businesses, said Alberto Infante, General Manager of the Peruvian Exporters Association (Adex).
Peru has 84 out of the 114 existing life zones in the world to produce an unlimited variety of agroindustrial and fishery products all year round.
Infante stated Peru has signed free trade agreements with main countries and commercial blocks such as United Sates, China, Singapore and the European Union, which allows it to introduce new products in these markets.
“Peru’s agriculture and aquaculture offer is multiplying making it necessary to look for new markets and bring buyers of the huge international chains,”, he said to Andina.
Over 700 food buyers from the five continents will arrive in Peru to attend Expoalimentaria 2010, September 22-24.
Of all the international buyers, 40% come from South America, 29% from North America, 21% from Europe, 5% from Asia, 4% from Central America and 1% from Africa and Oceania.
“International visitors are professioanl buyers who purchase their products from big chains such as Wal-Mart, Carrefour and Goya Foods. In 2009, the fair was expected to gather 100 buyers, but the number was 450. This year we expect to gather 700 buyers from the five continents,” he said.
Infante stated that Expoalimentaria 2010 will be a business plataform not only for Peru but for other Latin American countries as 300 national exhibitors and 100 international exhibitors, mainly form South America, will come to Lima, convinced that Peru is a hub in the world.
Other activitites taking place with Expoalimentaria are the III International Convention of Organic Products, the V National Aquaculture Convention and II International Seminar on Fresh and Processed Fruit and Vegetables.
“These are activities for which we bring many experts from the world, we want to be on the edge of technology, we want to know where the world is going and that is why we are making these additional activities that take us to the lead”, he said.
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Few realize the quality of wines produced in Peru most likely because the grape growing region is quite small. Ica, south of Lima, is the epicenter of the Peruvian wine and Pisco industy. The Tacama winery is one of the most visitor friendly in the area. I visited the winery not long ago and was quite impressed at the sophistication of the site. It is set on a beautiful hacienda, surrounded by many acres of lush vineyards, where the wine and Pisco (a fermented white grape brandy) is made, bottled, and shipped. You get a chance to see the equipment that is of the latest European technology and the many vats filled with their many labels. A dozen or so varieties of wine are bottled here, as are several of the world’s best Piscos and a few sparkling wines.
A tour of an hour or so, availiable on most days, takes you inside the factory, around the grounds, and is complete with a tasting and opportunity to purchase at the end. No reservations are needed.
The TACAMA vineyard is presently 200 hectares of alluvial soil formed during the great thawing period back in prehistoric times. In those remote times of devastating cataclysms, huge extensions of mud slide down the Andes mountain range into the Pacific Ocean forming valleys with rivers flowing through them. This caused the subsoil of the Valley of Ica to be stony and sandy, conditions which are similar to some of the best vineyards in France, thus contributing to the quality of their vines and fruits. As mentioned above, the lack of rainfall in Ica has forced Tacama to use, during the flood season, an irrigation system consisting of both canals and deep wells so their plants are timely watered as required. Professor Max Rives, emeritus Director of the French Agriculture Research Institute, says about the Tacama vineyard: “This region is suitable for producing wines under exceptional conditions … thanks to the characteristics of its climate and soil”. “This allows wines of a characteristic, inalterable type, to be obtained with a quality compared only to the products of the best wine producing countries in the world”, he adds. |
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See Tacama’s website for more information.
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BY LISA K WING
LIMA — The day the investment banker socializing at a random bar in New York orders a Pisco Sour as nonchalantly Buy Cialis as he would a Margarita or say, an Apple Martini, will be the day Carlos Ferreyros and other promoters of Peru’s pisco, a brandy-like liquor distilled from grapes, can say their mission is accomplished.
Though there is still much ground to tread before pisco—the base of Peru’s iconic cocktail, the Pisco Sour, and other mixed drinks—can compete head to head with popular spirits like rum or vodka, pisco producers in Peru have already taken important steps to enter the U.S. liquor market at full force with this novel product, according to Ferreyros, co-owner and manager of Bodega San Isidro SAC, Peru’s top pisco exporter in 2009.
“After years of promoting pisco in the United States and elsewhere, it is finally being recognized as an exotic, high quality spirit,” says Ferreryros, who in the United States sells his flagship product under the brand BarSol Pisco. BarSol USA LLC is the brand owner and marketing company of BarSol, managed by Diego Loret de Mola, who is in charge of promoting BarSol in the United States.
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For Marienella Ortiz, El Comercio
Adapted from Spanish by Diana Schwalb
A good pisco must flow through the palate like sweet oil, without burning the throat and must leave exquisite aromas.
Johnny Schuler knows this best. For the past 20 years he has tasted a huge variety of piscos, but never his own. Last week he achieved his biggest desire: he received the first drops of distillate that he himself produced at Bodega La Caravedo, where a millionaire project that will change the face of the pisco industry in Peru is being prepared.
Here is an interview with Schuler on this new US $20 million project. He has not yet revealed who the U.S. investors are. According to some sources, they come from the oil industry, but Schuler prefers to keep us in suspense.
Why did you chose to buy La Caravedo?
The project belongs to some U.S. investors who studied the concept of Pisco for several years and concluded that there is a great business opportunity. They also considered that the person who could help them was me.
Did they contact you in the public sector?
I was contacted and I thought it was very interesting. At that time I was an official in Pro Investment and pisco was only a hobby. I thought I had the opportunity to really put into practice the 20-year apprenticeship. As general manager of this adventure, I told them we had to move, to give birth to something.
| Johnny Schuler 63 years old. He is a founding member and president of the National Tasters Guild of Peru. He is also a member of the Peruvian Academy of Pisco. He worked the topics of tourism and real estate in Pro Investment. |
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But why La Caravedo?
Rodrigo Peschiera had done a superb job with their crops. In addition, the winery has a history since 1684 so it is one of the oldest in Peru. When you want to enter a market, it helps to have a history.
Was the purchase complicated?
It so happened that the former owners wanted to sell it. Interests came together, so much so that Peschiera buying drugs online continues to work with us, now as a wine engineer.
Was it consolidated when purchased?
We haven’t bought the company, but rather the estate, the vineyard (24 hectares) and the winery. We have not bought the name.
How much did it cost to buy it?
We reserve the right to hold that information… (smiles).
Does the industry already have specialized people?
The pisco industry is very sophisticated, but there is plenty of empiricism. We are entering a very challenging market and we cannot have a handcrafted product with defects. The initial production will be 200,000 liters, but the design of our plant – which will hopefully be ready by December – will have capacity for one million liters. This will make us, obviously, the largest plant in Peru.
How much will be invested?
We estimate it to be US $20 million.
Has a similar investment ever been made before?
Never has such a serious and professional effort been made. Just as we put together an entire apparatus here, in the U.S. we also hired specialized companies that are familiar with the market. You will not get to a bar with your bottle of Pisco, you have to enter the supply chains. Otherwise, you do not even scratch the surface.
Will it only reach the U.S.?
Initially, every effort made will be aimed at entering the U.S. The domestic market is satisfied.
When will you enter the U.S.?
September of this year. The trade name is different from La Caravedo; it will be called Pisco Portón.
Will a liquor with such big investment behind it have competitive prices?
We have everything very well controlled. We will produce at the same cost of any domestic producer. The additional cost is in the presentation to the U.S., ie, advertising, recruitment of ambassadors, in the sales force. The advantage is that we have large production volumes.
What about the demand?
I’m going to create the demand. We are conducting a very serious study. We have hired companies to see how to present the product and how to reach that market. Unlike the 500 milliliter bottle that is sold here, which looks like a free sample, we will launch one liter bottles. We have another concept.
How is pisco positioned in the U.S.?
Export figures indicate US $1.5 million. That export means about 300,000 liters. That’s nothing. If you do not enter with a higher offer, your costs are too high, you have to dilute them with significant production.
Will we be dethroning Chile’s brandy with this?
We dethroned it a long time ago. I no longer worry. We have a better product, the history is ours and so is the name.
Have they reduced their exports?
They have a problem. Vodka and rum have just entered to take away their domestic market. We have worked in reverse. Chile during the last 40 or 50 years overprotected their liquor, but the European Community has asked them to remove these measures. Chile is history.
Does pisco sell better in cocktails than pure?
Our product is super premium, but it will go to bartending. We must follow the example of tequila and rum. Today, rum is taken as cognac, but the Cuba Libre was first. So we are evaluating the development of our own “mix.” The pisco sour has a set of constraints. One of them is the egg white, which to Americans means salmonella. Another problem is that when you order a gin and tonic and a pisco sour, the pisco sour takes much longer to make.
Will pisco sour not catch on, then?
Pisco sour is exquisite, one of the four best cocktails in the world. Surely, La Caravedo will come up with a sour mix that for the market we want to attack, we do not know yet if it will be liquid (like in the U.S.) or in powder (like in Peru). This mix must contain egg albumin, lemon and sugar. If we do not make it easy, it will not sell.
How will the production be organized?
For a million liters we need 300 hectares to grow the grapes. Today we have an average of 100 hectares, but I’m going to go to Ica to take a look at a 285 hectares property. We will have about 500 hectares by the end of the year. However, we would also enable third party grape production.
And this will not distort the final price of the grapes, the main input of the Pisco industry?
That will benefit farmers. It is a win-win situation here for everyone. The first grapes are currently going to markets. We will buy everything. But we will have a different scheme for setting prices; it will not be per kilogram, but per concentration of sugars. Furthermore, I have decided that I only want Quebranta grapes from Ica, nothing more.
Is it the best?
It’s just that another criterion that is wrong is to attempt to present a wide variety to the foreign market. They do not know pisco and we offer them various types. I will try to produce a pisco that is exactly the same every year.
What will the production plant be like?
We are initially bringing two stills of 3,500 liters each, manufactured in Europe with the latest technology. My criticism has always been that the whole process of Pisco is done with too much technology, but we are going to use old stills for distillation.
Are you going to open the market to other producers?
The efforts we are making are going to draw the other producers. We are making investments that were never made before and that does not discredit the efforts of the past 20 years. We believe that the U.S. market is ready for a good and sophisticated product like Pisco.
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