Large 4 to 6-foot waves set the stage for a high level of competition this past weekend at the first date of the 2007-2008 Costa Rican National Surf Circuit (CNS) in Jacó. Almost 200 surfers competed in the Copa Mango event, including many new faces — a promising sign for the future of Costa Rican surf.

Costa Rica Surf — Winner’s of Women’s Category

“This event really impressed me with the quantity of new kids that came out,” said last years’ National Champion Diego Naranjo, who came in fourth in the Open category at this weekend’s event. It was Puerto Viejo native Nino Myrie who took first place, followed by Jason Torres and Gilbert Brown.

However, the biggest surprise of the event was Luis Vindas’s win in the Longboard category for his first time competing in the division. He received standing ovations throughout his heat as he performed aerials on the longboard. His choice to participate in the category came in part as a decision by several veterans to attempt to spark further interest in the sport among younger Costa Rican surfers. He shaped his own board and started practicing earlier that week.

In the women’s category, Lisbeth Vindas proved her veteran skills by taking the lead, followed by Nataly Bernold, who also won the Junior girls category. Vindas had to rush to the beach on Sunday for the final heat after finishing University exams earlier that morning.

Jairo Perez, who just recently won the Open category in the final event of the Latin American Surf Association (ALAS) Latin Tour, came in first place in the Junior category of the Copa Mango.

The weekends’ events ended with the naming of the first two finalists for Miss Surf Natural & Organic. The winner for the competition will be named in April at the final event of the CNS in Playa Hermosa.

The next CNS event, the Trofeo Op, will be held on Jan. 12 and 13 at Playa Hermosa. For the full schedule, check out this article about the 2007-2008 Costa Rica National Surf Circuit.

Photo courtesy of Shifi Surf Shots

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Filed under: Surf on December 11th, 2007