Spanish enduro champion Kiran Mirabet is back at with his Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports yet again, and this time he’s taking it to the streets of El Paso. No, not the border town in Texas, USA—the municipality on the island of La Palma, which is part of Santa Cruz de Tenerife on the Canary Islands.
The cobbled streets, skate park, palm trees, and perfect weather form a magnificent backdrop as Mirabet does “a gymkhana from the volcano to the beach,” in honor of Ken Block and the legacy he left behind. (Fans worldwide undoubtedly feel it in our own ways—but for fellow motorsports practitioners, it seems like it must be on another level entirely.)
Wait—volcano? If the name “La Palma” is itching at your brain, as one of those pesky memories that sounds slightly familiar, but you just can’t place it, that’s for good reason. The La Palma volcano is still very much an active body—and in fact, it last erupted between September 19 and December 13, 2021. As we write this on April 13, 2023, that’s slightly under two years ago—so probably both short and long ago enough for the name to still stick in your mind, even if the details don’t.
Anyway, back to Mirabet and his Africa Twin. He starts on the side of the volcano, which is now thankfully at rest once more. (For those keeping track at home, before 2021, the last time that La Palma erupted was back in 1971, and the time before that was in 1949—so hopefully it will be decades before the next eruption.)
We see him setting off from between a pair of bright red Honda banners, which stand out clearly against the black volcanic earth around him. Numerous trees are in various states of growth around him, bringing forth new life fueled by the combination of volcanic land and agreeable spring sunshine and warmth. As he switches from ash to dirt, the color changes—and the trees here are also much bigger because they’ve been growing longer.
A quick ride through some spring wildflowers later, and then Mirabet finds himself in a nearby skatepark. There’s a sign warning about a sporting challenge (presumably the video shoot), so Mirabet and the Africa Twin have the park to themselves. Next, it’s off to wheelie under some heavy construction equipment, which forms a perfect arch over the dirt.
The rest of the city center is quiet as Mirabet drifts around a roundabout, then wheelies down a nearby street while residents watch from the sidewalk in front of a nearby restaurant. A few other people are out enjoying a meal at a café table outside when Mirabet rolls by, popping wheelies and drifting around corners at will. If you want to see how well an Africa Twin can take the stairs (up, down, and over), then this is the video for you.
