Parents and guardians respond to statement from Surf Federation

Right to Reply - Association of Athletes, Parents and Representatives of Surfing, Bodyboarding and SUP

Board of Directors of the Costa Rican Surfing Federation

President Mario Rios:

The parents, representatives, and athletes of surfing, bodyboarding, and SUP in Costa Rica are deeply distressed and offended by your press release published yesterday, September 23, 2024, with the Pan American Surf Games just 11 days away and several athletes currently in Peru, adrift and alone because you repeatedly told them there was no budget or delegation to accompany them.

It is unheard of that our young athletes had to endure the humiliation of begging for money on social media to represent Costa Rica at this important event, and then, just 11 days later, you claim there is a budget, showing a timeline that demonstrates that you knew since December 21, 2023, that you had lost your eligibility to receive funds from ICODER and did not seek to obtain funds through donations or sponsors.

Their lack of communication with us, coupled with the lack of logistical support for the athletes, has created this enormous discontent. Therefore, we are not demanding money, as you could see in our individual efforts to raise funds; we are demanding logistical support, because we are entrusting our children to you in other countries, while you are hiding and trying to excuse yourselves by blaming ICODER and the Olympic Committee, evading your responsibilities.

Yesterday, September 23rd, the Pan American Surfing Association asked one of our members (who isn't even on the Board of Directors) if we had the official list of Costa Rican athletes who would be competing in the event. In other words, you haven't even been able to do that; you named a team at the last minute due to our pressure and have been full of excuses because of the same pressure we've had to exert to make things work, because we're tired of making individual efforts to keep covering up your inefficiency.

The athletes competing in the event received calls from the Surfing Federation, specifically from Mr. Mario Rios, asking them to make public statements claiming the FSC had the necessary funds. How can you subject our athletes to this level of stress due to your mismanagement? You should know that in surfing, as in many outdoor sports, athletes need to arrive weeks in advance to familiarize themselves with the conditions and acclimatize, especially in surfing with its ever-changing weather.

We demand accountability for the management of public funds, we demand apologies to our athletes for subjecting them to this humiliation, but above all we demand the resignation of the Board of Directors of the Costa Rican Surfing Federation.

Several associations are legally ready and organized to belong to the FSC, therefore we, in turn, publicly demand an extraordinary meeting.

We, the parents and representatives, have the relevant evidence of audio recordings and messages from members of the FSC.

September 23, 2024 Tamarindo, Guanacaste.

Written by Mitzam Fontiveros