Pan American Surfing Games

Costa Rica Surfing

Iquique, Chile -- In what should have been a triumphant return to the Pan American Surfing Games for Costa Rica’s 2005 Junior gold-medal winner, Jason Torres of the Costa Rican National Surfing team was instead blocked from the water Friday, November 2, and had verbal threats made against him by members of the Chilean National surf team, according to Christophe “Kiki” Commarieu, Publisher of Surfos Magazine, and a consulting member of the Federacion de Surf de Costa Rica.

At 8:45 a.m. local time yesterday, Commarieu, who had a video camera on hand to record the altercation, had been escorting Torres to the contest site of the Panamericanos Surf Chile 2007 in Iquique, where the competition is scheduled to begin on November 6, and continue until November 11.

“Jason was the first to prepare to train and I was along to video his session,” Commarieu explained by telephone yesterday. “When we arrived at the site, we were told by the surfers there, ‘We are training for Chile team.’ We didn’t think much of it at the time, thinking we’d wait our turn.

Jason has brought along a brand new Banzaii Surfboard to give to one of the Chile surf team members, so he went back to the hotel to get the board, and I climbed out onto the rocks to prepare to video. Jason returned, and we both waiting for an hour and 20 minutes.”

At this point in time, Torres began warming up, with stretches on the beach. As he attempted, once again to enter the water, Commarieu said: “Someone came off the podium to tell him he can’t go in.”

By this time Lisbeth Vindas and the Tico Team’s youngest member Nataly Bernold had paddled out into the ocean. Shortly afterwards, they had to get out, and told Commarieu “they were threatened.” Diego Naranjo, the elder statesman—and Vindas’ husband—intervened, and was told by the Chileans, “I’m going to put my hand in your face, motherf…” All of the Costa Rican team were spit upon, said Commarieu.

Jose Ureña, President of the Federacion de Surf de Costa Rica (FSC) joined Commarieu in attempting to calm the situation, by talking with Chilean Surf Federation President, Cristian Gonzalez, but at the time, there was no resolution. Upon returning to the hotel, the Costa Ricans learned from the teams of Argentina, Venezuala, and Ecuador of similar harassment problems at the contest point.

“It is not even a question that our team must train for this event, which is known all over the world as coming second to the Olympics in worldwide importance in athletics,” stated Ureña. “Our team is okay, there is no problem, Everybody is confident. We are taking care of everything. It is only one or two guys who are spoiling the universal good spirit for everyone.”

Yesterday, Ureña and Commarieu made an official complaint against the Chilean surfers who harassed the Costa Rican Surf Team with the Pan American Surf Association’s Executive Committee, which includes Maile Aguerre, President (she's also Vice President of the International Surfing Association [ISA]); Juca de Barros, Vice-President; Paul West, Secretary; and Marcos Bukão, Technical Director.

Fernando Aguerre, President of the ISA, who is not in Chile, sent his support to the Costa Rican team via email: “I am very sorry about what has happened. It seems to me a barbarism that the authorities of PASA allow this illegal and unacceptable attitude.”

Two years ago, in a come-from-behind, Cinderella story, that all but had Torres out from the Reef Panamericano de Surf Peru 2006 Copa Motorola, the powerhouse maintained enough focus to pull off skillful maneuvers on his last wave in the last heat of the Junior Finals to become the first Costa Rican ever to win a gold medal at a Pan-American Surfing Game.

This historic moment occurred at Puntas Rocas, on the final day of the best of Latin American surfing in which all nine National Costa Rican Surf Team members worked hard to earn 4th place overall in this Olympic-style competition.

Now, Torres, is back. And he’s surfing in the Open along with Luis Vindas (Costa Rica’s 2007 Triple Crown Champion); Diego Naranjo (2007-08 Costa Rican National Surf Champion); Gilbert Brown (2001-02 Costa Rican National Surf Champion); and substitute Nino Myrie (2002-03 Costa Rican National Surf Champion).

Surfing for the Costa Rican women are: Lisbeth Vindas (two-time Central American Women’s Surf Champion); Nataly Bernold (2007-08 Costa Rican National Women’s Surf Champion); and substitute Lupe Galluccio (2006-07 Costa Rican National Junior Women’s Surf Champion).

Juniors: Jairo Pérez (2007-08 Costa Rican National Junior Surf Champion); Carlos Muñoz (2007-08 Costa Rican National Boys Surf Champion); José Calderón; Orlando Solís; and substitutes Derek Gutiérrez and Danny Bishko. Rest of the team are: Longboard Diego Naranjo and Mauricio Umaña; Boogie: Silvio Mangel, William Fallas and substitute Richard Marín; and Boogie Women’s: Jimena Calvo and substitute Dineth Arce.

The Costa Rican team will join Argentina, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, United States, Guadalupe, Guatemala, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago, Uraguay and Venezuela. 

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