Central American Surf Championship

High Profile Surfers Expected At Firts-Ever Central American Surf Championship

25 June, 2006 : - - San Jose, COSTA RICA -- 

2004 Latin American Surf Champion Mágnum Martinez and Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) judge Wade Sharp, will have very  important tasks at the Federacion de Surf de Costa Rica and Adio's Campeonato Centroamericano De Surf Adrenalina presented by Freestyle, which will take place in front of  Hotel Monterrey Del Mar in Playa Esterillos, July 10 through 15. Along with Costa Rica, surfers from Nicaragua, Panama, Guatemala and El Salvador are expected to attend.

During the actual contest on July 13 to 15, Venezuelan surfer Martinez, a Quiksilver teamrider, will function as Event Director. The day before the tournament, the pro will lead a mandatory tactical surf clinic for all competitors.  

Mágnum more than qualifies for this position with his curriculum of victories including 1st place when the ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) brought the 2002 Billabong Pro Costa Rica to Tamarindo.  Already this year, in between Transworld Surf magazine photo shoots, WQS contests, and trips to Tahiti to test his sponsor Sharp Eye's Surfboards, Martinez has triumphed in the Asociacion de Latinamericano de Surf's (ALAS) Latin & Carribean Pro Tour, with 1st place at the 2006 opener in Argentina, and is now at #5 on the Latin Pro rankings.

His skills earned him the 2004 ALAS Latin Pro Championship crown, and he made the cover of Surfer magazine four years ago. "To have as an Event Director a surfer this outstanding is a guarantee for the competitors because Mágnum is a person who knows this sport like the back of his hand and because of it he has lived his life with much passion," expressed Antonio Pilurzu, President of Federacion de Surf de Costa Rica (FSCR).
 
Meanwhile, South African Wade Sharp makes his return to Costa Rica, where he has previously helped the amateur and professional surfing community. In 2004, he trained the National Costa Rican Surf Team for their participation in the International Surfing Association (ISA) World Surfing Championships in Ecuador. That delegation reached 9th place. Later that year, he coached the National Junior Team for Tahiti and those challenging ISA World Junior Surfing Championships.

Sharpe has three decades in this discipline, 20 of those years as a professional, on several occasions competing as a National Surf Team member for South Africa, or representing the locale as a surfer on the WCT.  Once retired from active competition, Wade became a qualified, official WCT judge. This week, he was judging the ASP WQS Rip Curl Search Mexico, where 48 of the best surfers on the planet-including superstars Kelly Slater, Bruce Irons, Andy Irons and Mark Occhilupo, among others-were fighting for a win that Sharp would help decide.

During the Campeonato Centroamericano De Surf in Esterillos, Sharp will be responsible for a team of judges, all qualified to implement the regulations of the surf tournament. They will chose winners for categories of Open (Over 18 years of age), Junior (18 years and younger) and Women. On July 11, two days before the actual contest, he will conduct a judging clinic.

"The people of the surf world know Wade's career trajectory very well," indicated Pilurzu. "He started his surf career in South Africa, moved to California, and has some of best experience in the world. For that reason, we are sure that his work will be of great benefit for all the boys of Central America."

The Central American Surf Championships will offer prize money of $10,000 in Open, $2,000 for Women and $1,000 to Juniors. National surfers from Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Panama are invited to participate. Beginning on the day of the contestants' arrival-July 10-and continuing throughout the entire event through closing on July 15, sponsors will sell their wares at a Surf Expo outside of  Hotel Monterrey Del Mar in a grassy area just in front of the beach.

Sponsors are Adrenalina, Adio, Freestyle, Hotel Monterrey Del Mar, Nature Air, Billabong, Maxx Energy Drink, Quiksilver, Arnette, Cobian, Polaris, Surfos, Teletica 7, Bevy Media Corp, Jaco Surf Shop (JASS), Mango Surf & Skate, Barry V Surfboards, 911 La Radio, Banzaii, JB T-Shirts, Cala Luna Hotel & Villas, Wishbone Restaurant, Hotel Rancho Coral, The Backyard Hotel, Shifi Surf Shots, and Hotel Tropical Garden.