HISTORY WRITTEN IN PORTUGAL: COSTA RICA 5TH PLACE AT THE 2008 ISA WORLD SURFING GAMES

JASON TORRES BECOMES 1ST COSTA RICAN EVER TO ENTER THE WORLDWIDE TOP 10 AT #5

LUIS VINDAS #6, NATALY BERNOLD #6 WOMEN’S



Tricolor Misses Copper Medal by 1 point—Costa Rica 11,818, France 11,819



COSTA DE CAPRICA, PORTUGAL October 19, 2008 – Costa Rica arrived happily at the end of the rainbow at the most prestigious event in the world of surfing, and for the National Surf Team what they found was a good as a pot of gold. After eight days of rigorous competition that began with 233 surfers from 29 countries, the International Surfing Association (ISA) World Surfing Games (WSG) in Costa de Caprica, in the province of Almada, Portugal came to a conclusion with 3 of the Top 10 surfers in their divisions from Costa Rica.

Not only that, the entire Tico Team, when ranked in total for its work, settled in at a historic #5, up 3 spots from its 8th position at the 2006 World Surfing Games in Huntington Beach, California. And, to make the mission complete, whereby in those Games two years ago Costa Rica nabbed the 4th place Copper Medal in the Tag Team event, in Portugal they stepped up to 3rd and earned a Bronze Medal.

Nevertheless, frustration abound today when the Federacion de Surf de Costa Rica and its National Selection learned at the ISA closing ceremonies, that France and Costa Rica were separated in the rankings by 1 single point of difference—11,819 for the 4th place French, and 11,818 for the 5th place Ticos.

The surfers who earned the most points for the Tricolor were those Top 10 stars themselves: Jason Torres at #5, Luis Vindas at #6 and Nataly Bernold at #6 Women’s (all from Jaco Beach). Their historical placement in the Top 10 set a world record for Latin America, and with Torres in particular, he equaled the mark of an individual Latino performance in the rankings. The Peruvian Gabriel Villaran was also #5 in the world during the 2004 World Surfing Games in Ecuador.

With this outstanding presentation in Portugal, Costa Rica officially set forth its invitation to the countries of the world for the next spectacle of international surfing: The 2009 Billabong World Surfing Games, in Playa Hermosa near Jaco, where the Federacion de Surf de Costa Rica hopes to host 50 National Selected Surf Teams, the best riders of each country.

“I am certain, the international contest in Costa Rica is going to be the greatest in the history of the World Surfing Games,” expressed Fernando Aguerre, President of the ISA.

The Costa Rica National Surf Team, without a doubt, gave a surprise in Portugal, especially with three surfers arriving in the last day of competition, and two of them, in the primary event. It was a tough day, a valiant fight for all.

First, Vindas ran into the problem of finding waves in the 2-foot surf. He dropped to 4th place in his Heat behind 1st place Australian Kai Otten, 2nd place Australian Heath Joske, and 3rd place American C.J. Hobgood. Still excellent enough to place #6 in the world, Open.

Torres was next, admitting later to being without nervousness, and feeling the support of the whole Tico Team behind him on the beach. He surfed hard, but also had trouble finding waves, falling to 3rd place behind 1st place Dayyan Neve of Australia, and C.J. Hobgood of the United States.

The loss was barely felt, however, when the rankings were released and the Tico was #5 in the world. “I feel really happy, but seriously, I’m numb, maybe I’ll feel something when I get off the plane in Costa Rica,” Torres said later that evening. “Seriously, now I feel like a team guy with our coming in #5. The way we would meet each night, the way we prayed together. Everybody supported me. I was never doubtful.”

For her part, after eight days of unbeaten heats, Nataly also felt the poor luck of the waves today. She dropped from the Open heat and into repercharge, where she fell to 3rd place behind Camila Cassia of Brazil in 1st and Marie Dejean of France in 2nd.

Nataly added up her run of performances into a #6 in the world Women’s spot.

“We obtained a great record, thanks to the talent of our surfers, and a great unity that we were able to maintain with our experience in previous international representations. Each time we improve and get better,” affirmed José Ureña, Technical Director of the Costa Rica National Surf Team and the President of the Federacion de Surf de Costa Rica.

“We felt very motivated because we are seen as a worldwide power of surfing,” added Ureña. “Our rivals now are greatest. Our next goal is to be champions of the world.”

For more information about the 2008 World Surfing Games go to www.isasurf.org. For more information about the Federacion de Surf de Costa Rica go to www.surfingcr.net