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Trophy in the hands of local surfer from Jacó Beach
by Ellen Zoe Golden
19/04/2007:// The Costa Rica Championship trophy for the Open category of the 2006-07 Circuito Nacional de Surf (CNS) was put in the hands of a local surfer from Jacó Beach and with this new triumph, he added another title to his long list of sport successes throughout 16 years running waves.
After an intense six months, and going into the Gran Finales in Jaco behind Hotel Copacabana with 9 other surfers mathematically eligible to dispute his goal since dropping in rankings, Diego Naranjo returned to 1st place winning the National Championship. The 6-star contest, which took place over April 14 and 15 in good conditions of 3 to 5 foot waves, inscribed 155 surfers in 13 categories looking to add 2,500 points to their rankings.
Naranjo added that amount to his scores which came to a total of 4,110 points in the four best matches of the CNS during 2006-07.
Coming into the Gran Finales, Diego was not sure he’d achieve the goal he had written down at the beginning of the season. He opted out of February’s CNS Trofeo Freestyle Nosara date to do a couple of the Asociacion Latinoamericana de Surf (ALAS) Latin Pro contests then returned to Costa Rica’s Trofeo Playa del Carmen Santa Teresa to find all his heats filled “with good guys,” Naranjo recalled. “It was a challenge.”
“But, coming into Jaco, I was more relaxed,” he continued. “This is my backyard, where I grew up; it came down to Jason (Torres).”
Jason Torres, the Jaco sharpshooter, and gold medal Pan American Junior Surfing Champion was at that time ranked #1 in the Open. Although he had just surfed hard coming in 2nd against winner Federico Pilurzu in the 2nd Central American Championships Copa Sobe Adrenalina Rush in La Empalizada, Guatemala, and was ripping all of 2007, he lost in the Semifinals of the Gran Finales. The fate of the CNS Championship was in Naranjo’s own hands.
“I had to compete in the last heat against my brother Juan Carlos, who took hold of a pair of very good waves,” said Diego. “The truth is I thought that the triumph was out of my hands and because the competition was extremely strong. But in the end, I regained concentration and I made some very good maneuvers.”
Also in the heat were two other Jaco surfers, including aerial specialist Luis Vindas, and Jairo Pérez, a snapping firecracker. When the horn blew, it was Diego 1st, Juan Carlos 2nd, Luis 3rd, and Jairo 4th.
Currently Naranjo—who, in June, will marry two-time Central American Women’s Surf Champion Lisbeth Vindas—has the support of his sponsors Billabong, Red Bull, Adrenalina TV, Reef, Freestyle, Quique Surf Shop and Odyseei. He frequently competes on the ALAS and the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS).
“It makes me proud to be the Champion of Costa Rica because this country has one of the best levels of surfing, and this region (Jaco) especially,” indicated Naranjo. “My triumph represents the 15-plus years of effort I’ve dedicated to my love of the sport, and with it I’ve had so many good moments that I’ve been able to give back to Costa Rica. I still have a long way to go in the future and a lot more to give this country because we have an enormous amount of talent in all the divisions.”
One of the talents is the young girl from Villareal near Tamarindo, Nataly Bernold, who certified her potential as one of the new promises of surf in Costa Rica when she obtained the scepter of National Women’s Surf Champion and National Junior Women’s Surf Champion in the CNS Gran Finales.
The Guanacastecan surfer capped an excellent season in which she always managed to stay in 1st place in the rankings of both Open and Junior.
“This it is an important triumph because I want to go further every day,” said the Villareal Grammer School student. “For that reason, I must keep training hard every day.”
National Junior Champion Jairo Pérez’s trophy is the cherry on the sundae in a season full of awards including his Central American Junior Championship in Guatemala.
“This type of gain stimulates me a lot to continue trying to tame the waves,” explained Pérez. “I’m happy that my effort was worthwhile. This is a prize for the people who always have believed in me. I knew I would give them this victory!”
With the 2006-07 season of the Circuito Nacional de Surf completed, the Federacion de Surf de Costa Rica (FSC) plans to send a selection of competitors to the Quiksilver International Surfing Association (ISA) World Junior Surfing Championships in Costa de Caparica, Portugal May 4 through 13. In addition, in two months, the FSC will organize a Triple Corona de Invierno with a series of three competitions that will distribute $5,000 in prizes to the winners of these surf contests.
Top seeds took control of the ASP World Qualfying Series 6-Star Buondi Billabong Pro Portugal posting big scores and impressive performances in the good three to four foot waves on offer at Ribeira d’Ilhas
Briton Russell Winter's run in the Buondi Billabong Pro in Portugal came to an abrupt end when the Cornishman finished last in his second round heat
The upcoming Boost Mobile Pro presented by Hurley may be the closest thing eight-time ASP World Champion and ratings leader Kelly Slater (USA) has to a home court advantage on the ASP World Tour
Home advantage saw Lee Ann Curren claim top spot in Rip Curl Pro Junior Mademoiselle at Les Bourdaines in Seignosse
The August Bank Holiday weekend saw a hive of activity at the inaugural Quiksilver Skins invitation competition, one of the most innovative contest formats to grace the circuit
Champions tell the story of their success step by step
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One of the talents is the young girl from Villareal near Tamarindo, Nataly Bernold, who certified her potential as one of the new promises of surf in Costa Rica when she obtained the scepter of National Women’s Surf Champion and National Junior Women’s Surf Champion in the CNS Gran Finales. 
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