Diego Naranjo wins first date of Costa Rica's ninth annual Circuito Nacional de Surf Daystar   

by: ELLEN ZOE GOLDEN/The Bevy EllenZoe@aol.com 800-548-1753

 Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica -- At the very last minute of the Final heat with surfers Jason Torres (Jaco), Olman Morales (Santa Teresa) and Federico Pilurzu (Tamarindo), the 2006-2007 Costa Rica National Champion Diego Naranjo (Jaco) yesterday was victorious in Playa Hermosa’s La Curva, becoming the first winner of the 2008-2009 season of the Circuito Nacional de Surf 2008-2009 DAYSTAR Copa Mango tournament.

Naranjo accomplished his winning trophy task by the elimination of important candidates to this title in earlier rounds of Quarterfinals and Semifinals, including Argentinean Leandro Usuna, Ticos Jairo Perez, Luiz Vindas, Juan Carlos Naranjo (all of Jaco), Carlos Muñoz (Esterillos), Matías Braun (Montezuma), among others.

In doing so, the former Champion reiterated his suitability, and ultimately, his surety, of running the waves for a win at La Curva in good conditions yesterday that stayed between 2 to 4 feet, breaking very well, with tubes that threw to both sides. During the end of the contest, in a day filled with rain, and a chocolate color sea, Diego killed his opponents like he knows how with a, fluid variety and ultimately his trademark frontside roundhouse maneuver.

However, this didn’t happen before the end of the first 15 minutes of the heat had passed in regulation, due to the frustrating, but excellent manifestations of both Morales and Pilurzu, who eventually came in 3rd and 4th, respectively. Of course, there was also the impediment of Torres—just back from the 2008 International Surfing Association (ISA) World Surfing Games (WSG) in Costa de Caprica, Portugal, where he earned a super shot of confidence and a #5 in the world ranking.

Ultimately, the notations were not very high for any of the four finalists until Naranjo gave more to the judges with his particular style of run. With this gain of 5-star points, Naranjo begins his dream of harvesting a second National title that would, if realized, put him tied with Gilbert Brown and Alvaro Solano as two-time Costa Rica National Surf Champions.

“The public speculated that the Finals looked easy to obtain the 1st position, but with these rivals it was not easy, by no means,” assured Naranjo.

On the other hand, the revelation of this particular date might have been the fact that Morales reached the Finals at all. It was his first time in that spot in a Nacional Circuito date. Morales, a surfer that has been competing in the CNS for three years, demonstrated sufficient radical risk, according to officials of the Federacion de Surf de Costa (FSC), during this weekend’s competition, and made strong and concrete maneuvers.

His rise to the Finals reflected just that. Today in his best wave, during the Quarterfinals, he flew higher than anyone in an aerial of about 4 feet above the wave. Thus the surfer from Santa Teresa, added to the already elite Ticos in what looks to be another potential possibility for the National Costa Rica Surf Team, when the time comes for the FSC to choose candidates for the Billabong ISA 2009 WSG. Those Games are slated to take place August 2009 in Playa Hermosa. 

Leading the figures of a new generation in the Juniors category, which have proven to demonstrate the highest levels of surfing already, 15-year-old Carlos “Cali” Muñoz, seems to be riding ahead in a wake. Yesterday, Muñoz won in front of rivals Rudy Jimenez, Anthony Fillingam (both of Jaco) and Ariel Agüero (Quepos). His best wave of the event was one he beat with a long right, on which he did an aerial 360 grab—perfect. Muñoz, the 2007-2008 Juniors and Boys National Champion, yesterday again gained the trophy in both those categories as well.

“It was very important to me to work that particular maneuver so well,” Muñoz said. “Once I managed to perfect it, my results in the competition improved a lot.” 

Yesterday, Lisbeth Vindas (Jaco), the 6-time Costa Rica National Women’s Champion, won the Copa Mango in her category once more. This makes the husband-wife team winners: Diego Narango is married to Lisbeth Vindas, and according to Naranjo, he chose the spot that provided the left that she took to win!

The next date of the Circuito Nacional de Surf 2008-2009 DAYSTAR will be the Torneo Coca Cola Zero in Jaco, in front of the Hotel Enchanted Bay, on December 12, 13 and 14. This will follow the Association Latinamerica de Surfistas Profesionales (ALAS) Latin American Pro date that will take place December 5, 6 and 7 in Jaco.

Results  

Open Category
1-      Diego Naranjo
2-      Jason Torres
3-      Olman Morales
4-      Federico Pilurzu

Junior  Category (Less Than 18)
1-      Carlos Muñoz
2-      Ariel Agüero
3-      Rudy Jimenez
4-      Anthony Fillingam

Women’s Category
1-      Lisbeth Vindas
2-      Kristin Wilson
3-      Nataly Bernold
4-      Mariana Samudio

Junior Women’s (Less Than 18)
1-      Lupe Galluccio
2-      Nataly Bernold
3-      Maia Velarde
4-      Elisa Luna

Boys Category (Less Than 16)
1-      Carlos Muñoz
2-      Jordan Hernández
3-      Anthony Fillingam
4-      Noe Mar McGonagle

Grommet Category (Less Than 14)
1-      Manuel Mesen
2-      Elijah Guy
3-      Josué Rodríguez
4-      Marta Fillingam

MiniGrommet Category (Less Than 12)
1-      Juan Carlos Hernández
2-      Andrey López
3-      Leonardo Calvo
4-      Santana Rosales

Girls MiniGrommet (Less Than 12)
1-      Leilani McGonagle
2-      Avalon Esterak
3-      Cloe Velarde
4-      Marta Fillingam

Bodyboard Category
1-      Richard Marin
2-      Joan Mojica
3-      Joan Matarrita
4-      Donald Berger

Masters Category (More Than 35)
1-      Mauro Sergio Oliveira
2-      Carlos Velarde
3-      Marcelo Matos
4-      Tommy Bernof

Grand Masters Category (More Than 40)
1-      Craig Schieber
2-      Mike Esterak
3-      Carlos Velarde
4-      Mario Rodriguez

Novices Category
1-      Eduardo Mora
2-      Victor Mora
3-      Bayron Vargas
4-      Henry Peraza

Longboard Category
1. Martín Pérez
2. Cedric Auffret
3. Anthony Fillingam
4. Adolfo Gómez

www.surfingcr.net

COSTA RICA BEGINS NINTH ANNUAL CIRCUITO NACIONAL DE SURF DAYSTAR 2008-2009 COMPETITION THIS WEEKEND, NOVEMBER 28-30 IN PLAYA JACO

 FIVE-MONTH COUNTRYWIDE CONTEST COVERS  TO SIX BEACHES WITH WIDEST SPONSORSHIP YET INCLUDING INTERNATIONALS: BILLABONG, COCA-COLA ZERO, POWERADE, QUIKSILVER, REDBULL, REEF, SURFTECH

National Sponsors include: DAYSTAR, 69Slam, 911 Groovy Radio, Balance Nature, Banana Wax, Chiclets Canopy Tours, Christian Surfers, Day & Night Beach Club,  Gimnasio Platinum, Gorila, Hotel Backyard, Hotel Terraza Pacifico, Ibarquero Design, Jass Surf Shop, Mango Surf Shop, Quique, Remax Jaco, Roca Bruja, Surfos Magazine, Tabacon, Banzaii, Carton, Witch’s Rock Surf Camp, W.O.W. Surf Shop

PLAYA HERMOSA, COSTA RICA November 27, 2008 – José Ureña, President of Federation de Surf de Costa Rica (FSC), announced today that the Circuito Nacional de Surf (CNS) DAYSTAR 2008-2009 will begin this weekend, November 28, 29 and 30 in Playa Hermosa.  The 5-star Copa Mango, set for a return to La Curva, one of Costa Rica’s best surf spots not visited by the Federation in years. The contest will take place in front of the faciliates of Casa Club DAYSTAR, which is providing all the facilities to accommodate the CNS’s ninth year initiation. On hand will be a roster of athletes hoping that this first of seven contests of this five-month, countrywide, six-beach tournament will eventually lead them to a coveted spot on the 2009 Costa Rica National Surf Team. That elite team will have the honor of competing in Hermosa next August 2009, when Costa Rica hosts 50 countries for the Billabong 2009 World Surfing Games.

Costa Rica just returned from the International Surfing Association (ISA) World Surfing Games (WSG) in Costa de Caprica with a #5 ranking in the world and 3 of its national team in the Top 10. Those surfers—Jason Torres #5 Open, Luis Vindas #6 Open and Nataly Bernold #6 Women are all competing in this year’s CNS. In addition, the 2007-2008 CNS Champion Gilbert Brown—also a Costa Rican National Surf Team member—is ready to go in Playa Hermosa.

“You can tell by the way these guys are practicing right now that the level is going to be very high on the Circuito,” said José Ureña, President of the Federacion de Surf de Costa Rica (FSC) “It’s not necessarily guaranteed that it will be the same people that were on the team in Portgual. We are going to choose 15 surfers at the end of the Circuito, then go for a weekend of concentrated training, then pick a new team.”

In addition, the level of surfing for this premier CNS date will be pushed even higher by the attendance of the Association Latinamerica de Surfistas Profesionales (ALAS) competitors who are already in town for the finals stages of the Latin American Pro date that will take place December 5, 6 and 7 in Jaco.

On the other hand, looking to make their way back onto the Costa Rica rankings, several national talents that have been absent from recent presentations of the CNS have confirmed their participation this season. Names such as Puerto Viejo’s Ronald Brown, two-time Costa Rican National Champion Alvaro Solano, and Hernán Hilton, are just some of those that are paddling out in the Open category of the Circuito. Billy Johnson is another.

In total, the FSC have put together six dates for the CNS DAYSTAR 2008-2009 schedule:

Of the six dates altogether, the best four will count in total for a National Champion. In this manner, the surfers will discount their two lesser scores.

For the 2008-2009 Championship, the FSC has increased the amount of stars to each one of the dates. Season 2007-2008 delegated dates 3 and 4 stars, and the Gran Finals a notation of 5. Now, those beaches thought to be less challenging will get 4 stars, and the better quality waves like Nosara and Santa Teresa, and the Gran Finals at Hermosa’s Terrazas Reef will get 6. According to Ureña, this elevation in star points will bring the Nacional Circuito to a much more bitter fight, and close ranking, a situation that would forcé those aspiring to the title to show up at each of the dates and push hard to attain a win.

At the same time, Ureña hopes to break the record of attendance, not only with new young insciptions, but by a new category—the Grand Masters, competitors over 40 years of age. This is the 14th division of the CNS.

“This will be a more hard-fought National Circuito than the eighth year,” affirmed Ureña. “The return of important athletes to the CNS really alerts already ranked surfers to push themselves even more to be able to be selected to the Costa Rica National Team for the World Surfing Games. That would be the dream of any surfer to compete in the World Games in your own country.”

“It’s important to emphasize that there’s a new generation of under-18-year-old surfers that will be competing in this Circuito and they will have as an example the just-returned triumphant nked Costa Rican team from this year, and will therefore work hard with an eye to being the new members of the tricolor team. For this new year, a new National Costa Rican Junior Team will have the responsability in the World Games in Ecuador in April of 2009,” he added.

In January, the CNS DAYSTAR 2008-2009, will introduce a new technology: computer software for the judges and speaker of the event that consists of the evaluation of the waves of the competitors and will provide immediate results. This way, surfers will know at once the result of the wave and their ranked situation even before finishing their heat. This system is the one used in the ASP’s international championships, and allows the athletes to create different strategies to run the waves.

“Finally, thanks to the sponsors who have stayed with the Circuito, and those new ones who have just entered despite the worldwide economic crisis. Surfing is a great opportunity to reach nontraditional markets by means of exhibitions on the beaches since its followed year after year by an increasing public and media,” confirmed Ureña.

For this CNS, new and important corporations, such as Coca-Cola Zero and DAYSTAR will propel the sport of surfing. A record amount of sponsors came in this year, a total of 34.

The inscriptions for the Copa Mango, the first date of the Circuito Nacional de Surf, can be made on Friday, November 27, between 5:00-7:00 p.m. at the Jass Surf Shop in Playa Jacó.

Circuito Metropolitano de Surf

A new challenge for the FSC comes with the incorporation of the Circuito Metropolitano de Surf, (previously called Circuito Chepeño), a championship open for the residents of the city. It takes place during three dates during the Costa Rica summer 2009. This a circuit for those surfers who train during weekends and vacation and is not comprised of the CNS.

The dates are the following:

Date                            Location                                              Date

Date 1                         Playa Esterillos                        January 24 and 25, 2009

Date 2                         Playa Jacó                               February 21 and 22, 2009

Date 3                         Playa Hermosa                        April 18 and 19, 2009

Worldwide Official Accreditation to Judges

At the second date of the CNS, Alex Valverde, FSC Head Judge and first official guaranteed by Surfing Australia, will lead a course where he will be able to certify people as International Surfing Association (ISA) judges. They will therefore be able to  judge contests around the world. This is course of 8 hours, will be realized the day , Friday, December 12 and Saturday, December 13. The cost is $100.  

For more information about the Circuito Nacional de Surf DAYSTAR 2008-2009 or the Federacion de Surf de Costa Rica go to www.surfingcr.net.