Home | Sports | Reeling from Perú, Ticos Seek Redemption in Panamá

Reeling from Perú, Ticos Seek Redemption in Panamá

11 July, 2011 12:19:00 Britton Jacob-Schram

Photo By Fabian Sanchez Courtesy Federacion Costarricense de Surf

Costa Rica as a national team is currently competing in the International Surfing Association’s World Games in Panamá. Costa Rica played host to the games last year and this year sends eight surfers to represent “el tricolor” in Playa Venao, a break with which the majority of the team is quite familiar. The national team’s coach and president of the Costa Rican Surf Federation José Ureña was quick to remind many of the ticos competing this week have brought home gold from Venao before. All of them have been competing at the national level as well as international competition, said Ureña. “That’s going to give them a lot of security.” “It’s almost like our second home,” said Ureña of the conditions at Venao. “They’re very similar to those of Costa Rica.” Standout performances can be expected from 18-year-old Carlos Muñoz competing in the Men’s Open; Jair Pérez who took the last Latin American title at Venao; as well as seasoned veteran Lisbeth Vindas, fresh off winning her ninth national title (yes, ninth). In preparation, Vindas says she’s been balance training and has switched completely to an organic diet. “[Venao] is one of my favorite beaches to surf... which is why I feel like it’s going to be a great world games for me,” she said. According to Muñoz, the poor performance from Costa Ricans during this year’s ISA World Juniors in Perú has been hard to shake. “Perú was a tough hit,” Muñoz told regional magazine Surfos. “Now it’s a beach break in warm water, which is an advantage—not an excuse that the cold water got to me, since I’d been prepping months before, now I just have to keep training hard.” Deemed the Olympics of surf, this year’s ISA World Games will see more than 200 surfers from about 35 different countries. Finals for the event will take place this Sunday, July 3^rd.
NATIONAL SELECTION Men’s OpenLuis Vindas, Jacó (24)Carlos Muñoz, Esterillos (18) Jair Pérez, Jacó (21)Anthony Fillingim, Santa Teresa (17) Women’s Open Lisbeth Vindas, Jacó (29)Nataly Bernold, Limón (18) Longboard Anthony Flores, Jacó (20)Cristian Santamaría, Nosara (25) King of the Groms
Though not selected for Panamá, Noe Mar McGonagle has been on the national radar for some time. This year marked an impressive push from the 15-year-old, who boosted his notoriety into world-wide recognition after winning the Quiksilver “King of the Groms” tournament, held in Playa Hermosa in March. He then went on to take the tour’s Latin American finals by storm: held in Mazatlan last month, McGonagle bowled over stiff competition, including local boy Mario Fernández, Salvadoran Marco Álvarez, and Venezuelan ripper Derek Gomez. “All of the competitors were strong, but more difficult was overcoming the conditions surrounding the competition—I'm just thankful I made it through the heats to get to the final. Personally, I think Derek Gomez and Aurelio Preto of Ecuador did amazingly well,” he told press. McGonagle, who hails from the knee-shaking left of Pavones in the south, will now represent Latin America in the King of the Groms World Finals taking place in Hossegar, France this October. He will face off against 45 other surfers from more than 20 different countries.