Champions! Costa Rica wins the Central American Surfing Games for the Sixth Time

Photo by Fabián Sánchez courtesy Asociación Costarricense de Surf

At home and unbeaten, Costa Rica took over the Central American Surfing Games 2011.

Surfers of the five categories that were part of the National Team gave the country the regional title for the sixth consecutive time. The event took place in front of a 5000-spectator audience in Playa Hermosa, Jaco.

With a rapid pace, our surfers were always in the top position. On the third day of competition, eight out of the sixteen national athletes went to the finals. Five of them became individual champions.

The good results achieved by the ticos made the national team score a total of 13,085 points. El Salvador was second with 8860; Guatemala was third with 8544. Panama and Nicaragua were fourth and fifth with 7595 and 6,300 points, respectively.

Those who qualified to the finals participated in the last series by category. This was the highlight of the games since individual gold medals were defined for Longboard, Boys, Junior, Female and Open.

The Open’s final was packed with spectators that took the beach to witness the emotions of this dispute up close. Carlos Muñoz, Luis Vindas and Anthony Fillingim, all nationals, and Porfirio Miranda from El Salvador gave a tough fight and began to show their strengths.

Fillingim began with 6.00-point waves and improved with a change of techniques. During the first 10 minutes, the Salvadoran Miranda was Anthony’s closest competitor. He was second in the first 10 minutes, but it was not until after the final half that Carlos Muñoz got the highest wave of the heat and scored 9.33; it was one of the top three waves of the games.

At his point, Carlos Munoz was placed second. Anthony, meanwhile, hit an over 7.00-point wave and went straight to the end of the series, where he was able to conquer one of the most valuable titles in his career and at his young age.

"With Luis, Carlos and Porfirio, I could not feel safe because you never know when are they going to turn the heat with a single wave. I waited, though. I raised my game and waited for this title that I dedicate to my family with all my heart,” said Fillingim.

With this title, Anthony, the current national sub-champion, adds his second Open win in an international event, but first one in an official tournament. This year, he also won a tournament organized by the Panamanian Association of Surfing (APS) in Panama.

With Noe Mar McGonagle in Junior, Nataly Bernold in Women, Bruno Carvalho in Boys (under 16) and Anthony Flores in Longboard, Costa Rica fulfilled by far the expectations of the audience. Thanks to good sports and organizational quality, this was another great event.

"We closed with a flourish. The main objective, which is the title by nations, was met once again. In addition, the championship had an excellent organization and featured a great show with amazing figures," said José Ureña, President of the Federation and the national team’s coach.

"Once again, surfing puts us in the eyes of the world. The Central American Surfing Games fulfilled its mission of bringing together young figures in a quality championship," he added.

The next edition of these games will return to Guatemala, after six years, when the event was held there for the first time. No date for this tournament has been set yet.