Huanchaco Longboard Pro Opens The Asp World Longboarding Championship

Translation: Heido Sundstrom

The first date of the ASP World Qualifying Longboard Series will take place for the fifth consecutive year in a row at El Elio Trujillo beach in Huanchaco, Peru on February 12th – 14th, 2014 and will be giving away $12,500 dollars in prizes. In previous editions, the Brazilians have clearly dominated and the only Peruvian competitor that has fought back hard enough to win has been Piccolo Clemente. This year, the event will also be the first date of the Women’s category, which will award $2,500 in prizes.

HISTORY OF HUANCHACO
Huanchaco is considered the birthplace of surfing in Peru. It is believed that approximately 3,000 years ago, ancient fishermen navigated the waves with canoes called “Totora Horses”, which still exist to this day. The Peruvian government recently approved a national law to protect ocean breaks for surfers and created the Promotion Commission of Peru for Exportation and Tourism with the intention of converting the country into a “Surfer’s Paradise”.

Huanchaco is the fifth beach elected and protected as a World Surfing Reserve under the “Save the Waves Coalition”. Last October, the spot met the necessary criteria to join this short list of the best places in the world to surf, as it has the quality and wave consistency, the unique environmental characteristics, surfing culture and history, as well as the support of the local community. Before Huanchaco, the only beaches with the seal of the “World Surfing Reserve” included the beaches of Malibu and Santa Cruz in California, Ericeira in Portugal and Manly Beach in Australia.

HUANCHACO LONGBOARD PRO CHAMPIONS

2014 – TBD
2013 – Sphaier Rodrigo (BRA)
2012 – Jeferson da Silva (BRA)
2011 – Piccolo Clemente (PER)
2010 – Sphaier Rodrigo (BRA)
2009 – Andre Luiz Deca (BRA)