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Former champs walk away with Trofeo High Tide trophy
by Ellen Zoe Golden
23/12/2006:// In a weekend where the best of Costa Rica’s surfers came together in Playa Tamarindo to participate in the third date of the 2006-07 Circuito Nacional de Surf (CNS), two former National Surf Champions with global competitive experience walked away with the top Trofeo High Tide trophies. Nino Myrie of Puerto Viejo won the Open, and Lisbeth Vindas of Jaco won the Women’s division. At the same time, these leaders, as well as the other Tico Top 10 veterans who surfed in the 7- to 8-foot, at times barreling waves that CNS Head Judge Yeffrey Rojas said “left people speechless to see in Tamarindo,” required the younger athletes to raise their levels.
José Ureña, Vice President Federacion de Surf de Costa Rica (FSC) said: “All levels of surfing went up this weekend because the Top 10 guys were here. There presence in the water required the rest of the competitors to surf harder.”
2002-03 Costa Rican National Surf Champion Nino Myrie of Puerto Viejo, who in November won the Reef Classic Latin Pro Costa Rica, surfed his Open finals heat in what has become familiar tactics—taking a quick first wave hard, then waiting until nearly the end of the clock to complete a series of maneuvers, this time a risky 360. All this while Jaco’s Luis Vindas surged wave after wave, demonstrating his fiercest backside attacks. Still, Myrie took 1st place, Vindas 2nd, Gilbert Brown (Puerto Viejo) 3rd, and Matias Brown (Montezuma) 4th.
“I always hope to offer my best, and it’s with great happiness that these last few months have been excellent for me. First with the Costa Rica Surf Team at the World Surfing Games, we earned 8th place, and then my Reef Latin Pro win in Jaco,” Nino explained. “However, I always want to return to the Circuito and compete because each time I do I see the level of surfing rising in an incredible way. I’m so happy to have won with these great competitors.”
Lisbeth Vindas has a slew of titles behind her name including five-time Costa Rican National Women’s Champion, Central American Women’s Surf Champion and #39 ranked World Qualifying Series (WQS) competitor. With this homecoming to her country’s annual tournament, she returned to a 1st place Women’s berth. Vindas acknowledged her closest competitor, young Nataly Bernold (Tamarindo), who came in just behind the pro this weekend, just as she had in the Central American Surf Championships this July. Playa Hermosa’s Malia Gallucio was 3rd place.
“Nataly has potential,” Vindas said. “She must learn, however, that there are a lot of really heavy competitors out there, not just me. I’m talking about new guns between the ages of 13 and 15 from all over Latin America, Hawaii and Australia. Right now, is a good time for Nataly to train really hard to get to the next level. I see it though; she’s coming up behind me. She is humble and is open to coaching.”
Bernold’s no-hold-barred attacks did earn her a Junior Women’s 1st place trophy on Sunday, in front of Dominical’s Debbie Zec at 2nd place, Playa Hermosa’s Lupe Gallucio at 3rd and Tamarindo’s Julie Javelle at 4th.
Commented Bernold: “Lisbeth teaches me a lot because she is very strong and a great surfer. When I know that I have a contest against her, I practice more. And, when I get in the water with her I have to paddle hard and have more confidence in myself. In my last heat today with her, my waves were not good, but I got three and I attached them with force. I do that whether Lisbeth is there or not.”
That singleness of purpose has been the game plan of Jaco’s Jairo Perez for years. This CNS season, however, his goal to take the Junior National Championship is one step closer as the youngster nabbed his second 1st place event win. Perez opted to forgo entering the Open contest this weekend, preferring to put his energy and “focus” on the Junior heats, where he beat Killian Raust (Tamarindo), Jefferson Tascon (Jaco) and Leonardo Downer (Limón).
The two-time Costa Rican National Boys Champion also overcame the resistance of Colombian Anderson Tascon—who now resides in Jaco and is one of the new revelations of the current Circuito year—to score another top win in the Boys category. Tasco came in 2nd, followed by Anthony Flores (Jaco) and Anthony Filligham (USA).
"The truth is that I was fighting because Anderson made several very showy maneuvers for half of the heat,” Perez recalled. “For that reason, I had to pay attention and be able to attack at the right moment.”
Perez’s triumph in Tamarindo now places him 1st in the Boys as well as 1st in the Junior overall rankings.
Judge Rojas summed up Trofeo High Tide by commenting: “The areas were I saw the best surfing was with the MiniGrommets, Grommets, Boys and Juniors. These kids were doing way more maneuvers, hitting the pocket with speed and they were fluid and strong.”
The fourth date of Costa Rica’s 2006-07 Circuito Nacional de Surf (CNS) will be the 3 Copa Mango Playa Jaco on January 6 and 7.
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