Born in Gijón, Sergio López was set to become a footballer, as it had been his lifelong vocation until an injury dashed his dreams. But thanks to a good friend during a holiday in Mallorca, he discovered in detail a hobby that would later become his profession. After fifteen years striving to catch the best prey, he's now National Champion.
Yumping.- As a child you saw yourself as a footballer, yet your path took a different direction... Nothing less than towards spearfishing. It was in Mallorca where you discovered your new hobby that, perhaps unintentionally, has become a lifestyle for you. Do you remember your first catch?
Santi López.- Yes, of course, it was a barracuda of a couple kilos, caught with a small speargun and no nylon on the rod. It was the first time I'd seen such a big fish underwater and I didn't dare grab it, so I dragged it to shore.
Y.- How did you decide to take that step?
S.L.- It was following a back injury that required water rehabilitation - I found some goggles, a snorkel and a small speargun, and from the very first day I entered the water, I was hooked.
Y.- How long have you been practising spearfishing?
S.L.- About fifteen years, I started quite late in this adventure sport.
Y.- You're currently Spanish Champion for the third consecutive year, what does this title mean for your career?
S.L.- On a personal level, it's a great satisfaction as it's the result of well-executed preparatory work. This result allows me to remain at the top of this sport and ensures the national team continues to count on me.
Y.- You outperformed your direct competitor Ángel Cruz, what's your relationship with him like?
S.L.- My relationship with Ángel is good, we've travelled to some international championships together with the national team and we'll do so again now for the world championship. We don't have much contact but the relationship is good.
Y.- What does it take to be a champion or at least practise this sport?
S.L.- Many hours in the water, lots of work and above all great passion for the sea, as it's very tough and demanding. But it's an water sport I'd recommend trying as you don't need exceptional physical condition.
Y.- This sport combines diving with fishing... which of the two do you prefer?
S.L.- Fishing, mainly because of the difficulty - fish don't make it easy for you, and you have to learn to understand their behaviour.
Y.- Which Spanish coasts are most suitable for spearfishing?
S.L.- They're all suitable, it's just that you fish differently in each one, depending on water visibility, temperature... For example in the Mediterranean the water is clearer and warmer, so you can fish deeper; whereas in the Cantabrian Sea the water is colder and much murkier, so you have to fish closer to the coast.
Y.- What's competitive spearfishing like?
S.L.- Very tense, as the level in Spain is extremely high - we're number one worldwide, which is why there are so many fishermen who have a chance to compete for the title each year.
Y.- Do you have any idols in this practice?
S.L.- To be honest, no real idols, because I started out knowing nothing about this sport, I learned on my own, though you come to admire fishermen like Amengual, Pedro Carbonell, Pepe Viña for their careers... What I do have in this sport are friends all along the Spanish coastline.
Y.- Your next goal is the world championship, how will you prepare for it?
S.L.- We'll go to Croatia with the national team for nearly a month and there I'll work with two teammates, scouting the area; it'll be very tough because fish are scarce and catching fish over 500g is an arduous task. But we'll go with enough tools and equipment to try to achieve our goal both individually and as a team.
Y.- What's your daily routine like?
S.L.- I usually go to sea about 4-5 times a week if weather permits, typically spending about six hours in the water. During winter when there are many storms keeping me inactive for longer periods, I usually travel to other parts of Spain where I know the sea will let me fish, mainly to the Mediterranean.
Y.- How do you see yourself in the future? Competing, giving classes...?
S.L.- I think I have about 3-4 more years of competition at most, as it requires great dedication and being at a very high level. In time, I wouldn't mind - more than giving classes - giving talks, mainly about safety at sea and competitive fishing.
