12 COSTA RICANS PRESELECTED TO COMPETE FOR THE NATIONAL SURF TEAM AT THE BILLABONG ISA WORLD SURFING GAMES COSTA RICA 2009

8 WILL MAKE FINAL CUT TWO DAYS BEFORE THE GLOBAL TOURNAMENT


Playa Hermosa, COSTA RICA June 15, 2009 – Less than 2 months from the kickoff of the Billabong International Surf Association (ISA) World Surfing Games Costa Rica 2009 in Playa Hermosa, the Federacion de Surf de Costa Rica (FSC) announced the 12 surfers who have been preselected to enter the training for the most important appointment of the year in surfing around the globe.

The list of surfers who hope to hit the water for Costa Rica at the Billabong ISA World Surfing Games Costa Rica 2009 July 31 to August 8 are:

OPEN: Jason Torres (Jaco), Luis Vindas (Jaco), Carlos Muñoz (Esterillos), Diego Naranjo (Jaco), Jairo Pérez (Jaco), Juan Carlos Naranjo (Jaco) and Gilbert Brown (Puerto Viejo).

WOMEN’S: Lisbeth Vindas (Jaco), Nataly Bernold (Jaco), and Mariana Samudio (Jaco).

LONGBOARD: Cristian Santamaría (Jaco), and Anthony Flores (Jaco).

Beginning now, the process of groups and training of the surfers will be conducted as a battle for the limited positions available on the Costa Rica National Surf Team. Two events are scheduled that consist of three days and two nights where the preselected ones will coexist as a group, yet perform against each other to represent their country in diverse events. Part of the work will include learning to fight with the pressure that will be on them from the public and media during the hours of competition.

“Acting as a unit has been the motor of our national selections in all our World Surfing Games. This one will be a long event, with extensive days, and in this sense we need to lean on each other as a team in the good times and in the bad times,” affirmed José Ureña, Technical Director of the Costa Rica National Surf Team and President of the FSC.

In addition, the preselected team members are now in the hands of the physical trainer, Donald Vega, and they will be working on their mental and physical aspects with intensity. The Ticos will have daily sessions in the gym and their nutrition will be supervised by Vega until the beginning of the World Surfing Games.

The final selection for the Costa Rica National Surf Team will be made the day before inscriptions, and they will be limited to 4 Open, 2 Women and 2 Longboard surfers. According to the calendar of ISA, the cutoff is July 28.

Why wait to announce the final 8 until the day before the competition?

According to Ureña, there are two important reasons. First, to keep the entire contingent healthy and ready in case of some unexpected injury of a top choice. Second, to maintain the best attitude and motivation in the athletes until the beginning of the World Surfing Games.

“It’s very normal to work with high performance surfers and have some highs and lows in the selection process. That’s why we are going to make the opportunity to select the 8 that are at their maximum level,” commented Ureña.

This group of 12 preselected athletes is a combination of experience, youth and talent in three different generations of surfers. They range in age from 16 to 27 years.

“The work that we will get from them will be very strict, in the sense that we will demand commitment and concentration. They have the obligation to surf everyday at the point of Terrazas del Pacífico, which is the podium of the competition,” Ureña added.

It is at Terrazas that the technical body of the FSC will see the surfers run the location assigned for the World Surfing Games coming up in August. That’s part of the advantage of being the local team, having familiarity with the home break.

For the first time ever, Alex Valverde , the head judge of the Federacion de Surf de Costa Rica, will appear on the international panel of judges during a World Surfing Games when he makes his debut at the Playa Hermosa tournament. In the middle of the six unique international judges denominated Valverde will be the only Latino on the list.

The entire judging list includes:

HEAD OF JUDGES: Glen Elliott (AUS), Cyril Nel (RSA), Jordao Bailo Jr (BRA).

INTERNATIONAL JUDGES: Aaron Saranah (AUS), Robby Haugen (USA), Andre Albuquerque (BRA), Bruno Truch (FRA), Alex Valverde (CRC), Tiago Matos (POR).

TEAM JUDGES: Sandile Mqadi (RSA), Nathalie Massin (TAH), Borja Echeverria (ESP), Trevor Medcalf (NZL), Fernando Carlin (PER), Takeshi Hirota (JPN).

NOMINATED JUDGES: Elvis Carter (BAR), Gordon Torry (TRI).

PROFILES OF THE PRESELECTED COSTA RICA NATIONAL SURF TEAM

Carlos Muñoz (Esterillos)

9-time national champion from 2005 to 2009 the the catagories sub 12, sub 14, sub 16, sub 18 and Open
2009 9th place World Junior Surfing Games Ecuador

Diego Naranjo (Jaco)

2006 national championl Open
2007 sub champion Mex Pipe (Puerto Escondico México)
2008 winner Reef Classic Perú, national champion Longboard
2009 bronze medal Circuito nacional

Gilbert Brown (Puerto Viejo)

2003 national champion Open
2006 15th place en World Surfing Games Huntington, California
2007 bronze medal in PanAmerican Games Chile, sub champion Reef Classic Argentina
2008 national champion Open, bronze medal Central American championships

Jairo Pérez (Jaco)

2007 national champion Junior and winner Reef Classic Costa Rica. champion Central American championships Junior
2008 21st place World Surfing Games Open Portugal

Jason Torres (Jaco)

2006: champion gold medal PanAmerican Games Junior, national champion Junior y champion Central American championships Junior
2007: Sub champion nacional Open, sub champion Central American championships Open
2008: 5th place World Surfing GamesPortugal, champion Central American championships Open
2009: sub champion nacional Open

Juan Carlos Naranjo (Jaco)

2005 selection for the World Junior Surfing Games Huntington, California
2007, 2008 y 2009 Top 10 Circuito Nacional de Surf

Luis Vindas (Jaco)

National selected for the Costa Rica National Surf Teams since 2005
2005 winner Reef Classic Perú
2007 winner del Reef Classic El Salvador
2008 winner best air de Latinoamérica for ALAS, sub champion Open and 6th place World Surfing Games Open Portugal, sub champion Central America championships

Lisbeth Vindas (Jaco)

7-time national women’s champion from 2001 to 2009, except 2007.
2006 Central American women’s champion
Selected for the National Costa Rica Surf Team since 2003

Nataly Bernold (Jaco)

2006, 2007, 2008 y 2009 champion Junior women’s in Costa Rica
2007 national champion women’s Open
2008 6th World Surfing Games women’s Open de Portugal
2008 Central American women’s champion

Mariana Samudio (Jaco)

Top 10 season since 2007
This is her first selection for the National team.