The 10th annual Circuito Nacional de Surf DayStar 2009-2010 will come to a conclusion this weekend June 25, 26 and 27 at Playa Hermosa’s La Curva.

It will be a war zone for Jaco’s Luis Vindas and Jason Torres who will put everything they have into the water for the Open category National Title. Due to the fact that this 7th date of the Circuito carries 5 stars and with it awards 2,000 points to the winner of each category, the athletes of the championship intend for this appointment to be their fourth best win, a situation that puts anyone who wins in a good place in the final ranking. In the best case, it will reward the surfer with the #1 ranking and the National Championship win.

Two of the best competitors in Costa Rica’s history of the sport, Vindas and Torres move into the Gran Finals with a common history: After years running in the Circuito Nacional, the Open Title is the one great trophy missing from their display cabinets. In the worse case, Luis and Jason would end up with their 2nd and 3rd Sub-National Championship, reaped the last four years.

Vindas arrives in La Curva as the ranking leader, with the three best dates and 4,095 points; Torres is in 2nd place with 3,885. This means that Vindas will need to place above Torres to be the Champion. The difference of 210 points between both does mean that Torres needs to obtain a 1st or 2nd place at this date—above Vindas—to assume the Title. However, if he obtains a 3rd, 4th, or 5th place, it is urgent that he position himself two or more places above Vindas.

In other words, if the title is to be fought between those two, they must arrive at the end of the Gran Finals together, therefore leaving out other possibilities to five other surfers that could mathematically move up. The total possibilities to the Open Title are:

Luis Vindas 4095
Jason Torres 3885
Matías Braun (Montezuma) 3510
Jair Pérez (Jaco) 3338
Gilbert Brown (Puerto Viejo) 3300
Carlos Muñoz (Esterillos) 3300
Isaac Vega (Tamarindo) 3134
Ramón Taliani (Jaco) 2925

After confirming the resignation of Braun from the season as of the last date, that leaves Pérez, Brown, and the defending Champion Muñoz waiting for the errors of Vindas and Torres which would place them maximum 7th place at this date. Nevertheless, if that happens, to get the Title, Pérez, Brown and Muñoz would need to win the Gran Finals.

Isaac Vega and Ramón Taliani are the last two with possibilities. They would need for all the others to fall in the quarterfinals and to win the event. The possibilities are almost utopian.

In the Women’s Open, there is a Final to be had. The eternal fight between the two best surfers of the country returns to the water, and as is the custom it is between 7-time National Women’s Champion Lisbeth Vindas and 2-time National Women’s Champion Nataly Bernold, both of whom are from Jaco. Due to the fact that Bernold won the last Circuito date in Nosara, she has managed to add sufficient points to grab the National Title, should she win the date.

Now, it will be up to Lisbeth in the Grand Finals to win it all and get her 2nd win in the last 3 years. Lisbeth, however, has more in her favor, and all she needs to do is place above Nataly. Bernold, on the other hand, needs to come out two places above Vindas in order to take the category.

The Junior Title is divided between 4 of the best International surfers of the highest levels. There are only 180 points of difference between Anthony Fillingim (Malpais), Carlos Muñoz, Jordan Hernandez (Limon) and Maykol Torres (Esterillos). Look for these guys to focus on nothing else but getting the Junior Title in the Gran Finals.

And finally, in Longboard, the news of Anthony Flores’ (Jaco) ankle injury allows Diego Narango (Jaco) to put himself out front for a 2nd National Longboard Title. He might have to keep a watch out for Crisitan Santamaría who has good results and could snatch the Championship if Diego encounters problems in the semifinals.

Running concurrently this weekend are the Finals for Circuito Metropolitano. This is the contest where surfers from the city compete.
It’s simple. Giannio Ferrandio is favored to win his 1st Title for the surfers of the Central Valley, thanks to 700 points of different between him and the 2nd place surfer Alejandro Vaca. Vaca hopes for a slide of Ferrandino in the quarterfinals to gain a big win for the Title.

In Junior, all goes to Felipe Pozuelo, the new Champion, with the brothers Daniel and Alejandro Vaca coming in behind him in this catagory. The división hopes to initiate the máximum participation of 8 surfers, sufficient for Felipe to advance a round and get his Title.
The conditions for this weekend cannot be better, according to the report from www.wetsand.com. Expected are waves of 1.5 to 2 meters in size. As this is one of the best surf breaks in the country, La Curva has optimal conditions for the competition, especially with high tide expected around 2 p.m.

The action for the Gran Finals will initiate all three days from 7 a.m. and run until 4 p.m., with the Federacion de Surf de Costa Rica attending to the organization, maintenance, hydration, meals, shade and baths.

The inscription of the Gran Finals begins tomorrow, June 22, at Jass Surf Shop in Jaco, Surf Planet and Skate in Lindora, or through the Federacion de Surf by telephoning 2235-6400.

SOURCE: Federación de Surf de Costa Rica