Pride of Lanzarote: Kenneth Gasque’s Enduring Legacy

Kenneth Gasque was recently named as an Adoptive Son of Lanzarote, one of the highest honours the island can bestow. It’s the latest in a long list of honours and awards that Kenneth has received, but it may just be one of the sweetest. We caught up with the man who transformed Lanzarote into an athletes’ paradise recently.

Kenneth Gasque is sporting a short crop when we meet, his long white hair clipped off after a nasty fall that put him in hospital a couple of months ago with a potentially fatal bleed inside his skull.

But anyone who’s ever met the man will know that it will take more than a tumble to keep him down. He’s full of energy, constantly getting up and down from his chair as he fetches clippings and certificates.

Two of those certificates were awarded in recent weeks. First, in March, came recognition as a “Sporting Legend” at a gala event held at Jameos del Agua. Then he was honoured as an Adoptive Son of Lanzarote, the equivalent of the Favoured Son honour for those born outside of Lanzarote.

Kenneth Gasque was a Danish Royal Guard who arrived on Lanzarote in 1983 to manage the newly constructed Club La Santa complex on the island’s north coast. In 1984 he organised the Volcano Triathlon, the first triathlon in Spain and in 1985 he flew to Hawaii to take part in that island’s famous Ironman race.

Struck by the similarity between the volcanic islands of Hawaii and Lanzarote, Kenneth asked “Why do we have to fly halfway round the world to do this?” Six years later, competitors lined up for the first official Lanzarote Ironman, a crucial turning point in the island’s sporting history.

The Ironman has since become the island’s biggest sporting event, attracting thousands of athletes over the years. Every May, an army of triathletes enter the sea at Puerto del Carmen to swim 4 kilometres, cycle 180 kilometres and then top the gruelling challenge off with a full marathon.

“Over the first three years, we lost money,” says Kenneth “We had no money, so I went to the Cabildo and asked them to help us. The event survived and quickly went up to 700 and 800 competitors.

The recent news that this year’s Ironman would be the last to be organised by Club La Santa came as a surprise to many. However, Kenneth points to the historical support given by the Cabildo and says “I’m a positive fellow. It could turn out to be a good thing for the event and for the island.”

He also thinks that the Ironman organization is unlikely to abandon the event. “Our Ironman race is famous for its difficulty,” says Kenneth “It’s around 20 minutes tougher than the Hawaii race, and athletes know this. It would be a disaster for the Ironman organisation if the Lanzarote race stopped”

This year, Kenneth was at the Ironman finishing line as he always is, greeting and congratulating athletes who’ve finished the race. “The Cabildo ask me to be there, so I’ll be there, “he smiles.

He also spends time visiting the bronze statue that was erected overlooking Playa Grande in his honour last year, meeting tourists and having his photo taken with them. He currently has hopes that an Ironman Museum could be established near the site, allowing visitors to learn more about the event that transforms Puerto del Carmen every springtime.

A FOUNTAIN OF IDEAS

The Volcano Triathlon, the International Running Challenge, Lanzarote’s international Marathon, the Music Marathon Festival, the Lanzarote Wine Run, and the Ocean Lava race, these are just a few of the events that Kenneth has brought into existence on Lanzarote, so it’s no surprise to hear that he’s still bursting with bright ideas and projects.

Among his current projects are a velodrome – a specialist cantilevered cycling track which he thinks would be a vital addition to the island’s sporting offer. He’d also like to mark out a permanent 5K course for the thousands of visitors who regulary run over this distance.

Then there’s The Gasque Sports Foundation, a charitable body dedicated to providing sporting opportunities for disabled and disadvantaged children on the island. The foundation has already held fund-raising events that have allowed them to assist a basketball team of disabled youngsters in San Bartolomé. Kenneth Gasque’s life may have been defined by endurance events, but none of these would have happened without his own gritty determination and tireless optimism. Although he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s several years ago, he has lost none of his boundless energy, that positive cando attitude and the impish sense of humour that has inspired thousands of islanders and visitors.