LUIS VINDAS WINS TWO IN A ROW AFTER COSTA RICA'S CIRCUITO NACIONAL DE SURF TORNEO BANCO NACIONAL IN PLAYA DOMINICAL

GILBERT BROWN STILL #1 IN NATIONAL RANKINGS

by: ELLEN ZOE GOLDEN/The Bevy EllenZoe@aol.com 800-548-1753

PLAYA DOMINICAL, Costa Rica March 17, 2008 - With Jaco's Luis Vindas claiming his second consecutive 4-star, 1 st place Circuito Nacional de Surf win this weekend at Playa Dominical's Torneo Banco Nacional, and the currently #1-ranked Gilbert Brown from Puerto Viejo sneaking up behind him at in 2 nd place, the overall National Championship crown still looks to go with Brown but the race is getting mighty interesting. Vindas reiterated his desire to snatch the trophy out of Brown's hands, if possible, by adding 1,500 points to his personal account. Both surfers now turn their attention to the April 26-27 Gran Final Terraza-Reef in Playa Hermosa, a 6-star bonanza. The National Championship is accomplished by the surfer that obtains the highest scores from the best four dates of the CNS. At #1, the title is Brown's to loose.

Today's four best surfers fought it out in the Open finals: Jason Torres (Jaco), Juan Carlos Naranjo (Jaco) along with Brown and Vindas. Vindas won the heat by connecting two great combinations of waves during the first minutes of the heat, sufficient to score points that would elevate him to 1 st place. Torres, and Naranjo surged to raise their own points after seeing those performances, yet the winner himself maintained good scores throughout. Brown, in his customary strategy, tried to use two good lefts, but they were not enough to surpass Vindas.

Jaco's Lisbeth Vindas imposed her strength once again, moving out ahead of Jaco's Nataly Bernold, the currently National Women's Surf Champion, who did not even make it into the finals. After losing out last week to Bernold in Playa Carmen, Lisbeth now has regained another 1 st place Circuito trophy, and 4-star one at that. Winning the entire year would give Lisbeth a 6 th National Championship. Pavones' Laura Pecoraro placed 2 nd today, and challenged Lisbeth, yet she has not been a threat for a 1 st place spot so far this year.

It was the Juniors fight that allowed the best heat of the day, and that was their finals.

Carlos Muñoz of Esterillos obtained 1 st place with skillful combinations in three waves. He's another one with two, 4-star 1 st place trophies in a row, putting the current National Junior Surf Champion Jairo Pérez at a disadvantage, and in a very unfamiliar position-on where he has to fight to reclaim his National title. The Gran Finals should be one of the most exciting to watch as well in the Junior division.

On the other hand, once again Diego Naranjo (Jaco) copped a win in his alternate discipline, the Longboard category, where he has become strong and consistent. In Dominical, as in Playa Carmen, the last Circuito date, Naranjo managed to hold off the National Longboard Surf Champion Cedric Auffret ( Tamarindo ) and the Gran Finals will be the determiner of the new champion.

The following and last date of the Circuito Nacional de Surf, the Gran Final Terraza-Reef in Playa Hermosa, is programmed for Friday, April 25 and Saturday, April 26. This great end of the national, countrywide tournament will be the ultimate weekend of the year as far as surfing. For those days, activities will include the surf contest, the finals of the Miss Surf Natural Organic contest, and a grand Saturday night celebration.

The 2007-08 Circuito Nacional de Surf International Sponsors are: Organics In America, Powerade, Coca-Cola , RedBull, Billabong, Quiksilver, Roxy, Reef. National Sponsors include: 911 Groovy Radio, Banco Nacional, 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.

For more information on the Circuito Nacional de Surf or the Federacion de Surf de Costa Rica , please go to the new webpage at www.surfingcr.net .

Results of Torneo Banco Nacional
Circuito Nacional de Surf
April 5-6
Playa Dominical

Open

1- Luis Vindas

2- Gilbert Brown

3- Juan Carlos Naranjo

4- Jason Torres

Junior

1- Carlos Muñoz

2- Jairo Pérez

3- Anderson Tascon

4- Rudy Jiménez

Women's

1- Lisbeth Vindas

2- Laura Pecoraro

3- Jennifer Hinds

4- Ericka Valverde

Junior Women's

1- Nataly Bernold

2- Julie Javelle

3- Debbie Zec

4- Avalon Esterak

Boys

1- Mykol Torres

2- Anthony Segura

3- Danny Bishko

4- Anthony Fillingam

Grommets

1- Anthony Fillingam

2- Tomas King

3- Leonardo Calvo

4- Jan Gagstater

Mini-Grommets

1- Noe Mar Mcgonagle

2- Leonardo Calvo

3- Czar Esterak

4- Kevin Montiel

Mini-Grommets Girls

1- Arisha Grioti

2- Leilani McGonagle

3- Mar y Paz Solano

4- Marta Fillingam

Longboard

1- Diego Naranjo

2- Cedric Auffret

3- Alex Gómez

4- Adolfo Gómez

Masters

1- Mauro Sergio Oliveira

2- Gustavo Saravia

3- Marcelo Matos

4- Mike Esterak

Novices

1- José Angel López

2- Rolando Zamora

3- Carlos Rivera

4- Manuele Fratini

Bodyboard

1- Joan Mojica

2- Oscar Ulate

3- Richard Marin

4- Francisco Mendoza

Bodyboard Women's

1- Jimena Calvo

2- Lorena Vera

3- Donet Arce