INTERNATIONAL SURFING DAY

Translation: Heido Sundstrom

Hawaiian surfer, Coco Ho (ranked 7^th in the ASP WCT Women’s World Tour), gives us her take on why the tour should make Hawaii their final stop this year. This is what she had to say: “The fact that we only have seven events doesn’t matter if all of those events have perfect waves. The better the waves, the better the results for women’s surfing will be.”

Coco’s 5 Reasons:

1. 1)Surfing originated in Hawaii, it just makes sense. Basically, it’s the identity of our state and one of the best features it has to offer. Hawaii is surfing.
2. 2)Hawaii has the best waves, period.
3. 3)Hawaii has a lot of world champions, so it’s a great example of why the tour should end in Hawaii.
4. 4)Women deserve extreme waves. We deserve the challenge and opportunity to show our level of surfing, few places offer such an opportunity as effectively as Hawaii.
5. 5)If the guys finish their tour in Hawaii, it’s only fair that we get to finish here as well.

What do you think?

MEXICAN YOUTH HEAD TO THE 2013 DAKINE ISA WORLD JUNIOR SURFING CHAMPIONSHIP, PRESENTED BY BILLABONG, IN NICARAGUA

Translation: Heido Sundstrom

Argentina, Australia, Barbados, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hawaii, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Panama, Peru, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Russia, South Africa, Switzerland, Tahiti, Uruguay, the United States, Venezuela and Nicaragua are just a few of the thirty countries (and more than 300 competitors) that are ready to battle it out at the Dakine ISA World Junior Surfing Championship (WJSC) presented by Billabong, which will be held in Playa Jiquiliste in Rancho Santana, just three hours from the Nicaragua capital city of Managua. The event begins with the Opening Ceremony and continues with the competition on Saturday and Sunday until June 16th, when the finals take place. Hawaii was the champion team last year, we’ll see who takes the title this year.

Each national team includes four men under 18, two women under 18, four men under 16, and two women under 16, for a total of twelve athletes, plus their team officials.

The Mexican team confirmed only four competitors this year. Difficulties of obtaining sponsorship, the fact that parental consent was required and good organization for finding a coach responsible for taking the young surfers to Nicaragua were a few of the factors for not bringing a complete team. These four young competitors are sure to give it everything they’ve got though, and we wish them the best of luck!

MEXICAN YOUTH SURFING SELECTION

Under 18
CARLOS DOMÍNGUEZ (Sinaloa)
EDUARDO BARBA (Sinaloa)

Under 16
ENO JAMES (Nayarit)
IVAN CAMARENA (Sinaloa)

THE BIG WAVE WORLD TOUR MERGES WITH THE ASSOCIATION OF SURFING PROFESSIONALS (ASP)

El fundador y director de la gira mundial de ola gigante Gary Linden dio a conocer este hecho  de manera personal tanto a competidores del tour como a los medios de comunicación el pasado martes por la noche.

Translation: Heido Sundstrom

Gary Linden, the director and founder of the Big Wave World Tour, made the announcement last Tuesday night to both competitors as well as the media about the two organizations collaborating together for the Big Wave World Tour.

The organizers of the Big Wave World Tour (BWWT) and the Association of Surfing Professionals will officially start working together next season to further legitimize the most extreme event in surfing.
(In order to begin a World Tour stop, the wave must be a minimum of 25 feet.)

“The aim of the BWWT was always to expand the culture of big wave surfing—creating a sport and taking it to the highest level possible,” Gary Linden said. “This fusion is the culmination of my life’s work and I couldn’t be happier with the results. The probability that the next generation of big wave surfers will have the desire to choose this as a career will allow the performance level to skyrocket, obtaining what may seem unattainable now.”

This fusion was something that was bound to happen sooner or later, as a variety of participating surfers of the Big Wave World Tour compete in the ASP World Tour. In that sense, the ASP has had some misgivings about their participants. Plus, the constant financial problems of sustaining the tour makes the organization of it more difficult; with this merger, there is a much greater chance of gaining important sponsors.

“As in the ASP World Championship Tour, our focus is to advance the Big Wave World Tour to celebrate the sport, the athletes, the waves and the action,” David Prodan, VP of Communications for the ASP said. “We’re going to be producing and performing countless emissions, webcasts for all the events, consistent feedback and viewing portals. Fans will be our primary focus, so we need to achieve the best possible content. While this is still a year or so away from being launched, in the five main events of this season, we’ll see a prize purse worth $50,000 USD; it's a big step forward.” 

ROCA BLANCA BODYBOARD AND SURF TOURNAMENT 2013

Translation: Heido Sundstrom

Among the festivities of the 2013 Rio Grande Annual Fair, various activities were held that included: agricultural, livestock, craft, cultural, culinary and religious exhibitions, as well as sporting events.

Of course, surfing had to make the list, seeing as how the state of Oaxaca is recognized throughout the world for its excellent list of beaches ideal for surfing that comprise its coastline. This time, both sporting and tourism were promoted at Playa Roca Blanca, Rio Grande, which is a long, right break located about 22 miles from Puerto Escondido.

The event counted on the participation of more than 50 competitors, who competed in two separate categories: Shortboard and Bodyboard.

In the Shortboard Category, first place went to Jafet Ramos, a promising young surfer with a lot of talent. At only 15 years old, Ramos is sure to see a long life of sports ahead.

In the Bodyboard Category, the current National Bodyboard Champion, Hector “Motor” Santiago, proved his rank and took first this year.

 Photos courtesy of: Rene Jaciel Santiago Venegas