Memories of a cannabis road trip with Dinafem Seeds and Weedmaps

By Borja Irastorza

After the recent cold wave 'Beast from the East', which brought freezing temperatures to a large part of Europe, and with winter still around, meeting up for coffee at 4:20pm is becoming increasingly popular. It was during one of these afternoon gatherings that we went all nostalgic and recalled how just a year ago we were hosting the Weedmaps surf and skateboard team on the occasion of the last stop of their trip to Spannabis Cup 2017, an unprecedented experience along the Cantabrian coast.

If you're not familiar with it, Weedmaps is a location-based online application that tells you where to find the best cannabis shops, dispensaries, doctors and home delivery services - welcome to California. But it doesn't stop here. The best thing about Weedmaps is its contribution to cannabis culture and the way it inspires people through sports such as surf, skateboard and motocross, together with the promotion of a genuine, healthy lifestyle. Well, this was exactly the spirit of this journey: bringing together some of the world's best surfers and skateboarders, who had never been travelling companions, and taking them along the Cantabrian coast on a skating, surfing and cultural trip.

The Weedmaps team arrived in San Sebastian, where they were welcomed by their Dinafem Seeds hosts, after travelling around Portugal and Asturias. It was their last stop before reaching Barcelona and everyone wondered whether Hossegor would be worth a visit. The weather was not very inviting, but forecasts talked of waves anyway. France wasn't part of the original route, but considering the team was already in Europe, it felt just natural to visit one of the most famous surfing coasts in the continent. So we load our cameras, surfboards and other equipment into the trucks and rush to the car park of La Gravière - the tide is against us!

Bruce Irons

Bruce Irons is one of the most renowned surfers in Hawaii. After years competing in the world league, he went through a dark time following the tragic death of his brother, the surf legend and multi-world champion Andy Irons. He even lost all his sponsors but managed to put himself back together and rediscovered his passion for surf and life. Bruce had travelled with Weedmaps to Hawaii's North Shore and knew exactly what the trip was about: having a good time, enjoying the moment and getting inspired by the experience.

"When Weedmaps contacted me and told me about their idea to take surfers and skateboarders around Europe, I was already in. The last trips in Hawaii had been amazing, so I knew we would have a great time."

"This is not my first time in France and I always enjoy coming back. This country has the best shores in the world."

Bruce caught the bomb of the day in Portugal, had one of the most dramatic falls in an indoor skatepark and surfed some of the best tubes of the day in Hossegor. And he still found time to visit the hairdresser!

Balaram Stack 

22-year-old Balaram Stack was the youngest in the group and is New York's surf ambassador par excellence. It is quite unusual for professional surfers to live in the Big Apple, as while the city offers some good surfing opportunities, it is not surfers' first choice.

"Bruce called me and told me about the road trip. He said there would be other amazing surfers and skateboarders, and photographers of the stature of Brian Bielman. And then the destination, the Spannabis Cup. Now, try to beat that."

"Actually, I travel a lot and the New York airport is great for that. Many people ask me why New York and the answer is simply that I love this city: it's my roots, my background, my way of life. Is a cold city, buy you get some epic waves too. At the end of the day, this is what makes me different from other surfers."

"Bruce has like his own particular schedule. He's here and the next second he disappears without telling anyone, so you wonder where he's gone. In San Sebastian he was already skateboarding before we even realised he was gone. And then that day in Asturias, when he went for a haircut. It's not like you're worried, you just wonder where he's gone."

"I've grown up watching Bruce's surfing videos, so seeing him in action from the water was pretty crazy. It was just like in the videos, only this time it was real life."

"Having surfers and skateboarders together was most interesting. It was a bit chaotic because obviously you look for different things and it was our first time travelling together. But then we have similar lifestyles and are always up for a good time."

Asher Pacey

Elegant and calm both on and off the surfboard, this Australian surfer loves drawing lines with his twin fin boards and enjoying the environment. When he's not surfing, he can be found fishing, finding minerals or simply working in his vegetable garden.

"This was my first time in Europe and I'm always excited to see new places. I come from Australia, so it was literally the other side of the world."

"I like to pay attention to where I am, to where I live: I listen to the environment, watch it change, look after it."

"I had never been to Europe before but I had heard a lot about Peniche and Hossegor, so just being here and catching a couple of waves has been amazing."

"When you embark on an adventure, you open yourself to potentially limitless experiences and learning, you never know what's waiting around the corner. Short trips are still micro-adventures. You learn a lot about yourself when you leave your comfort zone."

"Everyone has their own interpretation of surf. If you ask me ten times, I will probably give you ten different answers. But one thing is certain: we all feel great when we get out of the water. It just feels good."

As the session comes to a close, we consider trying the French classics - wine, cheese, the boulangeries - but we've spent the whole morning and afternoon surfing, so we have a quick hamburger and head back to San Sebastian. The unexpected French bonus is now behind us.

San Sebastian

We arrive in San Sebastian fully satisfied and just in time for an awe-inspiring sunset by the banks of the river Urumea. The Dinafem Seeds team is waiting for us with samples of their best genetics. But wait, where's Bruce? Has he got a key? Does he even know the address? No-one knows for sure, but it looks like he's skateboarding in the city. It's not that we're worried, we're just curious. Guess he'll be back soon…

Pintxos, beer, Spanish omelette, wine, gin and tonic, and Dinafem Seeds weed: Making guests happy is so easy in San Sebastian

The next morning a charter bus bound for Barcelona picks up the team. It's been a pleasure, Cantabrian coast. See you at Spannabis!

Dinafem Seeds

"Taking part in the Weedmaps tours was really interesting. Nowadays there are plenty of alcohol brands sponsoring football, basketball or surf events, and everyone is cool with it. Meanwhile, cannabis brands are completely left out of the picture. But what's the difference really? There's none, it's all a matter of legality and morality."

"Weedmaps is giving visibility to cannabis by sponsorship athletes from sports that could be defined as alternative or action sports. Many of our staff members love these sports and the lifestyle that comes with them, so we found the whole thing to be very much in line with our own values and hobbies."