Kike Manero on my way

Kike Manero, in addition to having his surname closely related to Frank Sinatra (to my way), is an excellent soul surfer and lover of good old engines. He started in the world of carburetors at just 15 years old with a Seat 1430, pushing the needle with his friends through the streets of a quiet neighborhood in Vigo. Here's a short interview with this surfing "torete." Photo: Clau What are you about? You got me there, I'm a punisher, a complete scoundrel, a procrastinator (begging your pardon) ahead of my time. I often feel like I already lived this life in the 50s and 60s with my friends Miguel Dora, Felipe Edwards, David Nuhuiwa, Jose Angel, Patricio Curren, Gregorio Noll, etc. But I'm really shy and humble, very humble, a good guy with a heart so big it doesn't fit in my chest. Buraka is your fetish wave, evil tongues say you have cartographic maps of the rocky seabed in the area, is that true? Of course, I learned to surf there and it's right next to my house. It cost me blood, sweat, and tears to master it, but with time and a lot of patience, we now enjoy a consolidated relationship where we both love and respect each other. Although I'm not 100% faithful as I'm polyamorous, I cheat on it with El Canal, La Izquierda, Pantín, Nemiña, and a few others. But it's not just my fetish wave, it's MY wave, HEAR THAT????? MY-WAVE. And yes, it's true, those evil forked tongues are not wrong, I have ortho-graphic maps, yes, but not just of the area, of the entire estuary, DUDE!!!! Photo: Lucremos Photo: Jose Mendiola Photo: Angel Fotosplino Is there any similarity between buraka and bukake? Oh, please! The doubt offends. NO!!! Of course not. Buraka bukake is an oxymoron in itself. I understand that the lexicon might confuse you, but they are two completely antagonistic terms. Let me explain, Buraka doesn't exist, it's a fallacy, an optical illusion, it's a fictional wave that I've been dreaming of since I discovered surfing and that I idealize in masturbatory and dreamlike states, but I've actually invented it. Patos or La Calita at low tide are a thousand times better. And I don't know what bukake is, although it sounds familiar. Photo: Lorena Photo: Antonio Díaz Photo: Brardi Have you always surfed with boards more than half a meter taller than you? No, when I started there weren't many options to choose from like now, and the first board I had reached my chin, but it only served for me to apprehend surfing. I was young and reckless, well, I still am, both. And I could also take it under my arm on the motorcycle to Patos. I also caught waves with a bodyboard when it got complicated for the board, with a windsurf board and with a kayak, but I've been giving it up due to lack of time. Still, I haven't found anything that improves the feeling of sliding with a good vintage 65 longboard, for example. Photo: Nando Bares Photo: Nando Bares We know you're a fan of vintage gasoline engines. Any significant acquisitions? Either now or throughout your extensive life? (We're not calling you old) And even if you did, I wouldn't care. Well, I'll tell you, I'm accumulating a few things, especially from the 50s and 60s of the last century. Among my favorites are a '54 Mercedes SL300 Gullwing, a '65 Ford AC Cobra, a '68 Mustang GT 500, a '61 Porsche 356, a '57 Chevrolet Corvette, a '64 Ferrari 250 GTO, a '48 Chevrolet Woody, and a '57 Chevrolet Nomad Bell Air. For daily use, for the past couple of years, I've had an '88 Toyota Land Cruiser that's giving me a lot of joy. We'll leave you some space to greet or swear at whoever you want, no one will complain... Let's just say hello. To my friends Buyas, Yoyas, Alimaña, Callejero, Doc, Patro, 7-14, Lupe, Pedrito and Olguita, Kabubi, Bengala, Bob the Bad and their respective partners. To Surfía (my sister) from Tenerife Kitesurf and Kiko from surfgz for their help, to Juan Pardo my favorite singer and Viva Zapata!! who will be proud of me. To the whole crew of Pantín and Nemiña. And especially to Lito (Fidel Hot Sport) I haven't forgotten you, rascal!!! Also to Clau, Nando Bares, Lucre, Yago Baz, Arantza and Lorena, Angel Fotosplino, Pablo Martínez, Ziggy Action, Julio Valeiras, M. García, Brardi and Mendi for the photos. And to you for remembering me. A kiss, my king. Photo: M. García Photo: Pablo Martínez Photo: Pablo Martínez