COSTA RICA CONTINUE HOT STREAK AS BODYBOARD AND OPEN SURFERS WIN REPERCHARGE HEATS

AT THE 2008 ISA WORLD SURFING GAMES IN PORTUGAL


COSTA DE CAPRICA, PORTUGAL October 15, 2008 Evening – The Costa Rica National Surf Team continues to write a new page in its own history with another day of great surfing presentation today at the International Surfing Association (ISA) World Surfing Games (WSG) in Costa de Caprica, in the province of Almeda, Portugal. Although the surfing was all in repercharge rounds, every Tico hit the waves with an eye on a relocation to the main event, and their moves through Heats showed their goal.

Bodyboarders Walter Gatgens and Richard Marin, who had fallen into repercharge rounds last Sunday, the first day of competition, today took better direction from the Costa Rican Technical Body with a firm commitment and advanced to Round 2 with excellent presentations. Both surfers added important points to the Tricolor team, and that is something that has not happened in the history of Costa Rica’s World Surfing Games. In the past years, Bodyboard surfing has fallen quite short of this level, and by now had already been dead and out of competition.

In the Women’s Bodyboard division, Jimena Calvo, surfed in her primary Heat today, but fell into repercharge for the rest of the life of the World Surfing Games. It all happened for want of better waves and the exhaustion of time; she could not qualify for the quarterfinals, but she will try to return to the main action via repercharge.

Open surfer Gilbert Brown, who today surfed in Round 2 of the repercharge, hit the water in the main podium of the event and he was hungry to get back to the main game. His viciousness paid off. The specialist in lefts from Costa Rica, had to run to the right in this opportunity, and in doing so he whipped to 1st place with three waves of 2 to 3 feet filled with vertical maneuvers over surfers from El Salvador, Spain and Puerto Rico.

Brown advanced, and hopes to classify tomorrow to the quarterfinals and then to the end of the repercharge, where only two openings are available to re-enter the main contest.

With that, the Costa Rica National Surf Team closed another day and added weighty points to the rankings among the countries. According the ISA, this evening they will make the first position of the team rankings.

“We are advancing as a team,” said Brown. “The work of each of us in the water is a reflection of our work in union. As a team we have constructed all our experience and concentration in this event. We are mark of surfing of our country.”