The first edition of the Hurley Camaronal Challenge took place on Saturday, January 10, with consistent waves, temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius (above 86 F) and a good beach atmosphere.
For more than eight hours, Playa Camaronal, with waves that never disappoint, offered ideal conditions for high-level surfing, allowing a variety of moves like riding tubes, doing aerials and cutbacks with great power.
Photos by Ariana Crespo.
At 8:00 a.m. sharp, the first heats got underway in the Open category, with the tide going out, waves in both directions and winds blowing offshore.
The competition had 56 participants, some locals and others who traveled from areas like Nosara, Nicoya, Tamarindo, Samara and San José to compete on one of the best waves in the northern Pacific region.
During the first part of the morning, some names stood out like Angelo Bonomelli from Tamarindo, whose cutbacks and double wave combination gained him a score of 18.2; Kilian Raust from Tamarindo, who managed to connect several aerials on one left-hand wave, earning a score of 12.7; and a local from Camaronal, Nikola Ruhlow, who also was at the top of the list in the first rounds.
Photos by Ariana Crespo.
Before noon, the wind changed direction, which made conditions more difficult but with good waves and sets of 8 or 9 minutes that allowed surfers to adjust to the wave and perform their best tricks.
Female participation was not lacking. Many women entered the event from areas like Nandayure, Nicoya, Samara, Guiones and Tamarindo. The Metropolitan category was eliminated to make room for the women.
“It’s the first time an event like this has been held here, with accredited judges Doryan Viquez, Jean-Pierre Loria and Esteban Fatjo. We saw the potential that this beach has because there are always waves and an event with this structure had never been organized. We expect it to be done once a year but that it grows, hopefully to a two-day tournament to support the local economy,” said Roberto Brenes, event organizer.
Photos by Ariana Crespo.
The event was sponsored by the international brand Hurley, who provided tents for the public, prizes and an electrical generator. Other local sponsors were Tabanuco Restaurant, Pato Surf School, Martec, Super Samara, Samara Organics, Bar Arriba, Hotel Punta Islita, Special Ticket and Gusto Beach, among others.
“We took the initiative to organize the tournament due to the growth Camaronal has had in recent years. We see that it is extremely important for it to develop sustainably, preserving the incredible flora and fauna that the area has. The size [of the wave] was very good. It’s not too large of a size that it would complicate making the 15-minute heats but rather it allows competitors to demonstrate their best,” said Nikola Ruhlow, competitor and event organizer.
Proceeds from registration fees will be invested in English classes twice a week for the Camaronal Beach Tour Guides.
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