ViaNica.com - Explore Nicaragua online

Nicaragua hosts the World Junior Surfing Championship

Arquimedes Hernández | Jun 7, 2013

Press conference about the Champinshp. | Photographer: Olga Ortiz Kurashvili

Young people from different part of the world gather to compete for the Tola international medals.

Jiquiliste Beach, located in the municipality of Tola (Rivas), will held for 8 days the ISA World Junior Surfing Championship (WJSC), a championship scheduled to be from June 8th to the 16th. The event was announced today at a press conference by Fernando Aguerre, president of the International Surfing Association (ISA acronym in English), with Mayra Salinas. President of the Nicaraguan Institute of Tourism (INTUR).

The 11th edition of the World Junior Surfing Championships begin tomorrow in the port town of San Juan del Sur, from 4:00 pm, with a traditional opening ceremony of the ISA, which will include the Parade of Nations and the Ceremony Sands of the World. The Ceremony of the Sands is the mixture of the sands of the beaches that train himself all participating delegations, thus symbolizing the desire of the ISA for a better and more peaceful world.

This surf contest brings together young surfers, males and females, under 18 years of, from more than 30 countries like: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Germany, Hawaii, Ireland, Italy, among others. It is the first time that thsi championship is performed in Nicaragua. One of the reasons why Jiquiliste beach was choosen is because of the quality and consistency of the waves, the organizational skills of the public and private sectors of the country and the area and the accessibility of the site, said Aguerre.

Among the athletes with a good race in the surf participating are:

  • Takumi Nakamura (Japan)
  • Noe Mar McGonagle (Costa Rica)
  • Dax McGill (Hawaii)
  • Koa Smith (Hawaii)
  • Cam Richards (USA)

Nicaragua will be represented by eight surfers in this tournament, like Jackson Obando, who dabbled in the sport since age 9. Obando said he was happy to represent the country in this global competition, for which he and the team have been training for two and half weeks, ten hours a day.

Nicaragua profiled in the surf

To Mayra Salina, president of INTUR, being the host country for this surfing contest is a great opportunity for to further promote international Nicaragua as a destination that has been emerging in the field of surfing. This event is the second world championship our country is hosting after the World Masters Surfing Championship held on the beach last year.

The conditions at the beach this year are expected to be better, as they have created new infrastructure conditions: some bleachers are enabled, so that visitors can enjoy in nice condition of the Tournament, plus the facilitators are trained to provide food services, because it is expected the arrival of at least two thousand people a day, said Lucy Valenty, national organizer of the event.

The organization for the preservation Paso Pacifico is participating in this activity in order to raise the awareness on the protection of the oceans to people who come to this world championship, announced its environmental education coordinator, Julie Martinez. To avoid the contamination of the beach they have worked in the distribution of 25 trash receptacles, organized collection activities to recycle trash, and installed an information stand.

This is the Nicaraguan team.

Translated by Cynthia Cordero