The second round of the Triple Crown Surf contest got off to a delayed start, in Playa Garza on March 18. Originally scheduled for the day before, the contest had to be postponed because of small wave breaks.
This round was a unique affair, for Triple Crown and Costa Rica surfing. According to Esteban Lopez Paniagua, a judge, organizer and owner of Tico Surf School, this is the first surf tournament in Costa Rica held at an offshore reef.
Rather than crowd around the beach, spectators and participants loaded into sea taxis to be taken to larger boat. Those boats then congregated and anchored near out reef, off-shore of Playa Garza.
Paniagua said there were about 60 people there watching and 39 competitors in two categories. Unfortunately, due to the timing of the tides they weren’t able to run the women’s section or long-board section, rather those will be added to the final round in Guiones beach on April 7.
In the open men category, Cristian Santamaria won first place and Storm Van Timmeren took first the junior category. Although points from the second round are still being compiled, based on the first round in Ostional Vibert Wingrove Barrantes is currently first overall.
The event included three local surfers as judges, Paniagua was one, Alex Spear and Heilber Ruiz were the others. In the final at Playa Guioness there will only be two judges and they’ll be from the national surf circuit although Paniagua isn’t sure exactly who they will be. |
