ELLEN ZOE:: FEDERACIÓN DE SURF

(02/08) En el segundo día de competencia en Playa Hermosa de Jacó, los surfistas costarricenses no hacen otra cosa más que hacer respetar su casa a puro surfing. Hoy Gilbert Brown y Jason Torres pasaron a ser blanco de las miradas del mundo al enviar a las rondas de repechaje a los tres surfistas con más nombre en este mundial.

La Selección de Costa Rica que hoy tuvo participación solamente en el podio 1, comprimió a una multitud importante que se identifica mucho ya, con el “oe, oe, oe, ticos, ticos” cada vez que uno de los nuestros hace lo que hoy hicieron los surfistas de Costa Rica.Playa Hermosa, COSTA RICA August 2, 2009 – Showing that the home team are serious about winning, the Costa Rican National Surf Team came away from Round 2 today with both the highest scoring single wave and the highest combination of waves among all the surfers who competed. Gilbert Brown of Puerto Viejo managed the best wave of the day with a 9.23, just after the announcer said: “Gilbert Brown es fantastico.” Meanwhile, Jaco’s Jason Torres, who ranked #5 at the World Surfing Games Portugal 2008, put together a combined two wave total of 17.33.

Both competitors achieved their feats in heats against surfers of fame. As the waves picked up, ranging from 2 to 5 with barrels, Brown entered a heat with Australia’s Mick Campbell—ranked #13 in the ASP WCT—and Peru national champion surfer Gabriel Villaran who was 5th place in the 2004 World Surfing Games. Fergal Smith of Ireland surfed this heat as well.

Perhaps it was knowledge of the break, but Brown got the big waves including one where he slammed steadily off the top into a snap maneuver that yielded the 9.23. A confident stride and snap down the line on another whopper earned a 6.43 for a combo of 15.66 and a 1st place win. Villeran came in 2nd, and Campbell went to 3rd and repercharge.

“I didn’t start out the best way, but I calmed myself down,” recalled Brown after the win. “I just paddled, paddled, paddled like crazy back and forth. Then I got that one wave and I thought, ‘I really have got to surf that wave.’ After that I felt good, but not happy because there were still them three guys in the wáter who could still get it. So I was thinking I need to get a big second wave and that’s what happened in the end.”

Later in the day, Torres had a fight in the wáter with Top 10 WCT competitor Jeremy Flores of France. Also in the heat pumping up his level were Hawaii’s Roy Powers and Australia’s Matt Bemrose. Torres started early by breaking up a right with skill all the way to the beach for 8.33 points. All the while Flores hit him back with commanding maneuvers, risking everything. Fortunately, Torres had an insurance wave of 9.00 when Flores got barreled for a 8.17. Torres’ total 17.33 was the highest combination in the regular Round today.

“I just want to pass my heat,” Torres said later. “I don’t care about the points or anything. When I surf with good guys I surf good. I think I did a pretty good job representing my country. That’s what I have to do: represent, do my best, and kick ass.”

First thing in the morning, Carlos Muñoz said the waves were “weird” as he struggled to wrestle them from his competitors. He managed to so to 2nd place and pass his heat to Round 3 with only Hawaii’s Joel Centelo besting him for 1st place.

Luis Vindas, however, gave a valient try, but couldn’t not find his waves during his Round 2 heat. He came in 3rd place, but it was the Australian Dayyan Neve, who is currently ranked #24 on the WCT and came in 3rd at the World Surfing Games Portugal 2008 taking the higher scores for high rapid fire verticals and barrels. In 2nd was Chile’s Manuel Selman.

The Women surfed later in the day at Podium 1, and the waves were a little closed out by then, making the conditions a little trickier for Lisbeth Vindas and Nataly Bernold of Jaco. First up was Lisbeth, who surfed hard and made it to 2nd place behind Australia’s Amee Donahoe who just seem to be a little more in control this time.

Nataly, on the other hand, just didn’t connect and even with a last minute right where she was beautifully barreled, the score didn’t come up high enough to lift her past 3rd place. Ornella Pellizzari of Italy was 1st and Nage Melamend of Hawaii was 2nd. Bernold now heads to repercharge.

“I think today went pretty well,” summed up José Ureña, President of Federacion of Surf de Costa Rica and head of the Technical Body of the Costa Rica National Surf Team. “Four surfers passed and even those that lost will have a second chance. Everything is going to start getting interesting around the third or fouth day.”

To watch all the action of the Billabong ISA World Surfing Games Costa Rica 2009, please go to www.surfingcr.net.