Delegations from Central America are ready for the Central American Surfing Games 2011

Costa Rica will receive the delegations of the Central American countries at the start of the country’s biggest surf event this year:  the Reef Central America Surfing Games Costa Rica.

Sponsored by Sansa Regional, the four countries' delegations visiting will each bring 16 athletes on their teams, which include elite surfers.Panama, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Guatemala will bring their best representatives.

That has not happened since the Central American Games in Panama in 2008.The team from El Salvador is ambitious and has brought a large team formed by a new generation of talent between 18 and 22 years of age; among them are Israel Arenivar and Juan Carlos Ramos.Undoubtedly, the greatest Salvadoran figure is Jimmy Rotherham.

Having won Open silver and bronze medals in the two previous Central American games, Rotherham has broad experience in international competitions and comes to Costa Rica to fight for the gold in his category.

"Our goal is to fight for first place in teams. We have been working hard with the boys and we are expecting them to respond,” Jaime Delgado, coach of the Salvadorian team, explained to the Costa Rican Federation of Surf.

Panama brings Gary Saavedra, who has been champion 13 times in his country. With him comes Sonia “Pucha” Garcia, who has won the championship nine times. Both of them will give a tough fight, as will two new talents: Oli Camarena and Samantha Alonso, current champion of Panama.

Nicaragua, the latest country to confirm its 16 athletes, is bringing the current Central American Champions in Open and Longboard, Rex Calderon and Jose Espinoza.

 They will defend their current title in Playa Hermosa.Guatemala has practiced hard. Guatemalan surfers Cristian Ruiz and Gefran Lima will try to dominate in Playa Hermosa.

Costa Rican TeamCosta Rica aims to get its sixth consecutive championship. José Ureña, national coach, said that if Ticos want to win individual gold as well, they should enter concentrating on their heats from the very beginning.

"Panama, El Salvador and Nicaragua bring athletes with great surfing abilities. As a group, they all have evolved to a very high level. Guatemala is not far behind. We want to ensure that our people can give their best from the start and that they will be constant until the final rounds," said Ureña through the Costa Rican Surf Federation.

 Costa Rican Team

Open: Luis Vindas, Anthony Fillingim, Carlos Muñoz and Jair Pérez

Open Women: Lisbeth Vindas, Nataly Bernold and Leilani McGonagle

Junior: Noe Mar McGonagle, Alberto Muñoz, Manuel Mesén, and Tomas King

Boys: Bruno Carvalho, Leonardo Calvo, and Kevin Montiel

Longboard: Anthony Flores and Cristian Santamaría

 Reef Surfing Games brings $5000 awards

Reef Central American Surfing Games will offer a prize of $5000 (2.5 million colones) that will be divided between the winners of the Surfing Games to be held in Playa Hermosa, Jacó from December 1 to 4.

The Federation of Surf announced this. It is the first time that this competition will offer cash prizes for the different categories.The Federation stated in a press release that since this type of competition has an Olympic profile in which winners receive medals and a position on the ranking, it is not rewarded with cash; however, it will now be done this way to encourage the participants a little more.

"Such a prize creates more competition in the water at an individual level, assuring a greater show of professional athletes, to whom we want to give an extra motivation and a reward that can be used to travel to other international competitions," said José Ureña, President of the Surf Federation (FSC). 

"This means a huge effort on the part of the Federation, because we were not able to confirm the cash prize for the best in the Central Reef Surfing Games until recently," he said.

The sporting event looms at the regional level as the largest ever made; therefore, it will have a greater prize.

These games have taken place since 2006. There have been cash prizes in every single edition, but never a sum as the one set this time.Jair Perez is the Costa Rican surfer who has won the most prize money in events held in Costa Rica.

According to the Federation of Surf, in the last two years, Perez won 3 million colones in national and international championships. Jair is one of the four Open surfers summoned to represent the country."It is great. For us, the key is to go for the medal and lead the country to victory or to the highest position in the ranking as possible. That news is good. This will generate more competition and the level will be evident," Perez said.

The conquest of medals is going to be difficult because, although hosts, Costa Ricans will face highly competitive Central American surfers such as Rex Calderón from Nicaragua, Jimmy Rotherham from El Salvador and Panamanian Gary Saavedra.

"I think Rex is the one who has shown a very high level in recent years. During the last Central American games, he beat us in the final. This time, we are in our home and that gives us an extra point," said Jair.

Sansa Regional Airline Tickets will be Part of the Awards

Three air tickets to any destination where TACA flies are part of the prizes the Central American athletes will surf for.

The tickets are an incentive for winning. The athletes, in addition to the medals, a ranking position and cash, will be given airline tickets to attend an international competition in 2011 or 2012.