The Costa Rican National Surf Team was met with threats and was actually forced out of the water when they attempted to warm up for the 8th annual Panamerican Surf Games 2007 in Iquique, Chile this morning.

Costa Rica Surf — Nataly Bernold photo courtesy of Shifi Surf Shots

Thirty minutes after being told he could not enter the water, Jason Torres, a Jaco native and reigning champion of the Junior Panamerican Surf Games, was the first Costa Rican to try and enter the water. The Chilean team followed and prohibited him from catching a wave, according to Christophe Commarieu, a delegate of the Costa Rica Surf Federation.

“After Jason, it was Lisbeth [Vindas] and Nataly [Bernold]’s turn, but they were equally threatened and had to get out of the water, as did Jairo [Pérez]”, Commaireu said.

Team members from Chile spit in Pérez’s face and threatened to hit Torres and Diego Naranjo. When Carlos Muñoz tried to catch a wave, the Chilean team would interfere and get in his way.

Teams from Ecuador, Venezuela and Argentina were met with a similar response from the Chilean national team, whose members made threats to all four teams when they tried to enter the water during their morning practice.

The Chileans occupied the only point at which the waves were good for surfing early in the morning and refused to move. Commarieu said that the four teams that had to put up with such behavior would be filing a formal complaint.

Perez commented that he thought the Chileans wanted to make the teams lose their concentration and begin the tournament scared of the waves.

The Costa Rican team arrived in Chile at noon on Thursday and was able to train that afternoon. They were able get some training in this morning and again this afternoon. The Panamerican Surf Games is the last international team competition of 2007 and will be held from Nov. 3 to Nov. 11.

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Filed under: Surf on November 2nd, 2007