La Concha Flag: The golden rowing regatta

amplify image

La Concha Flag

The Donostia-San Sebastian traditional rowing regatta is held on the first two Sundays in September in the unparalleled setting of La Concha bay.

Crowds of nearly 100,000, many of them wearing the colors of their favorite trainera, cover the hillsides overlooking the bay in search of the perfect spot to watch the day’s events unfold.

Both fishing and recreational boats come from the nearby ports to add the final touches of sound and color to the event with their flags, horns and whistles.

The streets of Donostia-San Sebastian, especially the old quarter, become the gathering ground for hundreds of "experts" who can be heard making their predictions for the winners.

Bets on which trainera will take the first prize or whether one a certain team will manage to shave a few seconds off its time are the topic of conversation between friends at bars and cafés throughout the city. But the most important thing of all is which trainera will triumph in the final battle for the flag awarded at the "Bandera de La Concha Regatta", the most celebrated rowing event of the year.

The city itself turns into a gigantic party, the streets filled with neighbors, friends and visitors who come from all over to see the event and enjoy the warm festive atmosphere. When the clock strikes twelve and the judge signals the start of the race, cheering voices can be heard from virtually everywhere.

Urged on by the coxswain, the oarsmen give it all they’ve got in pursuit of a victory that will only be savored by a select few.

The oarsmen grip their oars firmly and put all their muscle into what they’ve been dreaming about for so many weeks and months of hard training – La Bandera de La Concha, the local version of Olympic gold.

In the end, of course, only one team can win, and although the competition is fierce and the emotions and tensions high, an atmosphere of sportsmanship prevails in the port as the teams make their way to the finish line. And since this is the Basque Country, such an event couldn’t possibly come to a close without food! Any number of restaurants in Donostia-San Sebastian will see to putting the final touch on an unforgettable day.