GILBERT BROWN WINS SECOND DATE OF COSTA RICA'S CIRCUITO NACIONAL DE SURF IN PLAYA HERMOSA

GILBERT BROWN WINS SECOND DATE OF COSTA RICA'S CIRCUITO NACIONAL DE SURF IN PLAYA HERMOSA

By: Ellen Zoe Golden/The Bevy EllenZoe@aol.com
1-800-578-1753 From the U.S./867-2197 In Costa Rica

PLAYA HERMOSA , COSTA RICA January 14, 2008 With his customary surge of powerhouse surfing, Puerto Viejo's Gilbert Brown managed to take the Trofeo Op 3 star Open at the Playa Hermosa date of Costa Rica 's Circuito Nacional de Surf (CNS) this past weekend, January 12 and 13. In doing so, Brown ended the stranglehold of Jaco's Luis Vindas, who had won the last five dates of Federacion de Surf de Costa Rica (FSC) contests that have taken place on this country's beach on the central Pacific.

The finals Open heat included a battle between Brown and surfers all too familiar with tournaments coming down to the wire—Jaco's Jason Torres, Jairo Pérez and current Costa Rican National Champion Diego Narango. Earlier at the Trofeo Op, international Tico representative Federico Pilurzu—who had just returned home from the year's first WQS, the O'Neill Sebastian Inlet Pro in Florida—ramped up the Open competitors levels with his skill, only to fall out in the semifinals to Torres and Naranjo. For his part, Vindas, was also a victim to Brown and Pérez—the latter just on fire this year peeling off surfers much older than his 17 years—in heat 2 of the semifinals. (Copa Mango winner Nino Myrie was not at this second CNS date as he was competing at the Asociaion de Latinoamericana de Surf's Reef Class Argentina 2008 in Biología this same weekend.)

“Today's contest was a tribute to the Open finalists, to Diego, Jason, Jairo and Gilbert, who ended up in the finals and had a great finish due to their own merits and were able to win thanks to great figures like Luis Vindas and Federico Piluruzu. Their work today was because of much courage and desire to win,” affirmed Jose Ureña, President of the FSC.

One of the most spectacular shows of the day was the end of the Grommets contest, for boys less than 14 years of age. During this final heat, the waves were at the best of Sunday, between 3 and 5 feet with sets of 11 seconds or more. Surfers Anthony Fillingam (Jaco), Tomas King ( Tamarindo ), Josué Rodríguez (Jaco) y Normar McGonagle (Jaco) may have been young, but their spectacle made the public shout and cheer the loudest of the day. When trophies went 1 st place to Filligam, 2 nd to King, 3 rd to Rodriguez and 4 th to McGonagle the kids received equally loud applause.

Pérez, again, had his work cut out, when he, along with Esterillo's Carlos Muñoz, Quepos' Ariel Agüero and Jaco's Jefferson Tascon put up one very bitter fight to the death in the Junior's finals heat. This was the high quality of surfing Costa Rica has come to see in the Open category. Nevertheless, the experienced Pérez once again managed to put his particular stamp on the division, taking the Junior trophy for the second consecutive time this year.

In the Women's division, it was a welcome return to Argentinean Laura Pecoraro, a frequent competitor on the CNS in years past would often challenged Jaco's Lisbeth Vindas for her 1 st place spot back then. Pecoraro won 1 st place in Hermosa's Trofeo Op, pushing Lisbeth to 2 nd , Jaco's Bernold to 3 rd and Jaco's Mariana Samudio to 4 th .

The Trofeo Op in Playa Hermosa was important. in many ways, including the fact that the rankings for this date, the first, and the next two of the Circuito Nacional de Surf will be used by the Board of Directors for the Federacion de Surf de Costa Rica (FSC) to help make the Costa Rica national team selection. This is the group that will travel to the next Central American Surf Championships, which will take place in Panama in March. For the past two years, the Tico team has won the crown, so it will be up to this year's selection to defend it, making the next CNS dates extremely vital for national pride. They are the Torneo Witch's Rock, February 2-3 Playa Tamarindo and Playa Nosara 4 th Fecha February 23-24.

At the end of the Trofeo Op in Playa Hermosa, before the trophy presentations, the Miss Surf Organic & Natural contest took place in a special area at Hotel Backyard. Here was a contest to pick the woman who is best bronzed, most likable, sporty and takes best care of their health. The winner was 19-year-old Jaco resident Guadalupe “Lupe” Solís, who won $100 and a chance to compete the winners from the rest of those from the CNS dates in the Gran Final Terraza-Reef April 26-27 in Playa Hermosa for the grand title and $1,000.

The international sponsors of the CNS are Organics in America, Reef, Red Bull, Quiksilver, Roxy, Billabong, Op. National Sponsors include: 911 Groovy Radio, Witch's Rock Surf Camp, Hotel & Resort Terraza del Pacifico, Bar & Restaurant El Tabacon, Hotel Playa Carmen, Quique Surf Shop, Coldwell Banker Peninsula Trading Co., Banzaii Surfboards, Banana Wax, Remax Surfside, Cala Luna Hotel & Villas, The Backyard Hotel, Mango Surf & Skate, Jass Surf Shop, Roca Bruja Surf & Skate Shop, Carton Surfboards, Chiclets Canopy Tree Tour, Gimnasios Platinum Fitness Center, Chuck's W.O.W. Surf Shop, Shifi Surf Shots, Surfos Magazine, ICT.

For more information on the CNS, Federacion de Surf de Costa Rica and its Costa Rican surfers, please go to www.surfingcr.net .

Results of Trofeo Op

Circuito Nacional de Surf

January 12-13

Playa Jaco

Open Category

1- Gilbert Brown

2- Jairo Pérez

3- Diego Naranjo

4- Jason Torres

Junior Category (Less than 18)

1- Jairo Pérez

2- Carlos Muñoz

3- Ariel Agüero

4- Jefferson Tascon

Boys Category (Less than 16)

1- Carlos Muñoz

2- Ramón Taliani

3- Danny Bishko

4- José Calderón

Grommets Category (Less than 14)

1- Anthony Fillingam

2- Tomás King

3- Josué Rodríguez

4- Normar McGonagle

Mini-Grommets Category (Less than 12)

1- Normar MacGonagle

2- Callen Reid

3- Elijah Guy

4- Czar Esterak

Open Women's Category

1- Laura Pecoraro

2- Lisbeth Vindas

3- Nataly Bernold

4- Mariana Samudio

Junior Women's Category (Less than 18)

1- Nataly Bernold

2- Malia Galluccio

3- Lupe Galluccio

4- Debbie Zec

Mini Grommets Women's Category (Less than 12)

1- Leilani McGonagle

2- Marta Fillingam

3- Naomi Bernold

4- Avalon Esterack

Longboard Category

1. Diego Naranjo
2. Cedrick Auffret
3. Mauricio Umaña
4. Luis Vindas

Masters Category

1- Marcela Mattos

2- Daniel Salazar

3- Giacarlo Loría

4- Gustavo Saravic

Novices Category

1- Jose López

2- Wayne Guevara

3- Alexis Chamorro

4- Jordi Azofeifa

Bodyboard Category

1- Richard Marín

2- Silvio Mangel

3- Joan Mojica

4- Edwin Offer