National team players tell us about their experience at the 2009 World Cup.

There is no doubt that the 2009 ISA World Surfing Games was an event that marked the lives of many people, and both athletes and people outside the discipline of surfing enjoyed to the fullest a week full of the best world surfing of that time.

Playa Hermosa, on Costa Rica's Central Pacific coast, was packed with people eager to experience a historic event: the first-ever World Surfing Games in Costa Rica! A national highway was practically at a standstill, and the town of Jacó was nearly fully booked in every hotel. This was the atmosphere surrounding the Games, which brought immense joy to the country.

The beach was packed with people, showing tremendous support for the national athletes who felt proud and excited to give their best in every heat they competed in. The joy of fans, whether they knew about surfing or were just on the beach cheering on the country, was an indescribable feeling that could be felt in the air.

Our country finished this event in seventh place out of thirty-five participating countries, with a combination of experienced athletes and two highly skilled youngsters. The final team consisted of: Jason Torres, Carlos Muñoz, Luis Vindas, and Gilbert Brown in the men's category; Lisbeth Vindas and Nataly Bernold in the women's category; and Diego Naranjo and Anthony Flores in the longboard category.

In this article, the selected athletes shared some of their experiences at the ISA World Surfing Games Costa Rica 2009, and here are their impressions.

What impressions did this World Cup leave on you?

Men's Open Category:

Gilbert Brown: The 2009 World Championship was the best I've ever been to. The waves were fantastic, and the crowds were incredible. We had roughly 10,000 to 20,000 people on weekends. At that time, Costa Rica was starting to show signs that we could be a world power, with some athletes progressing faster than others and almost reaching the finals. It was truly amazing.
At a competitive level, the competition was fierce, and although I was the reigning national champion in 2008, there were several high-level athletes vying for a spot on the national team. They pushed us to work incredibly hard, and I was even a little afraid I wouldn't make the team since my spot was up against Diego Naranjo, who was also very talented. Personally, I felt apprehensive, but also discouraged by the Surf Federation, because I had trained so hard and was the 2008 national champion, and the thought of not making the team was unbelievable. However, in the end, there was no doubt, and by giving it my all, I was able to represent my country on home soil. It has been the greatest honor I could have ever received, because for me, my country is unique, and I would die for it.

Jason Torres: It's a lot of mixed feelings because I felt I could win that championship. I was surfing really well and positioning myself correctly. However, I made a mistake in the semifinals, where I moved to the left side of the rock at Playa Hermosa, and that's when the other surfers, Jeremy Flores and Brandon Jackson, managed to advance. I felt happy because I had done well, but at the same time, a little sad because I knew I could have gone further. In my mind, I visualized winning the tournament since I was surfing very consistently and advancing in each round in a great way. But well, now with the passage of time, I can say that I'm happy to have been able to represent the country with dignity. The competitive level was very high, and I have to say I had some controversy with the Frenchman Jeremy Flores, since the first heat in the "main event" was against him, and after that he felt uneasy with me because he said I was getting too many points. Then, during the World Championship, I beat him in two more heats, and that only worsened the rivalry he had with me. In the semifinals, we faced each other again, this time with Brandon Jackson from New Zealand and the Venezuelan Francisco Bellorin. It was a very close series where I went first, then him, then me again, and so on until almost the end when I went third, and unfortunately, I needed a score higher than six, and he didn't give me a chance.

Carlos Muñoz: In my opinion, it was extraordinary to see a world surfing championship held in Costa Rica, and being able to participate was even cooler. That year, I had won the 2009 national championship, which gave me the opportunity to represent Costa Rica. The countries arrived with their heavy arsenal of surfers, and it was great to see such high-level surfers riding our beaches. And that's not even mentioning the huge crowds that were there; I've never seen anything like it at any other competition.

Luis Vindas: It was a great world championship. I'd never seen so many people on the beach for an event. The road was chaotic, and getting to Playa Hermosa from Jacó was quite a challenge, even though it normally takes about five minutes. The beach was packed, everyone was happy, and I was fortunate enough to represent my country at the event. I'm proud to say that I always tried to give my best. Also, that weekend I had a great showing in the nighttime events that were being organized back then, and I beat several well-known surfers of the time who were also competing. It was a fantastic experience.

Women's Open Category:

Lisbeth Vindas: That world championship was spectacular. There were so many people, both along the road and on the beach, all wanting to greet and take pictures with the athletes. It was wonderful to receive so much support, whether you were there to compete or just free surf. People were always cheering you on. I'm so happy to have been part of the team and to have achieved such a great overall result, finishing seventh. It made us all incredibly happy.

Nataly Bernold: The competition was very good, many countries came with a very high level and the support of the people was incredible, something never seen before.

Longboard Category:

Diego Naranjo: I had been competing in the Longboard category since before 2005, because there weren't many competitors in the category and also as a way to encourage people to compete. But also, I really enjoyed surfing on this type of board. By this world championship, our country already had very talented athletes. Carlos Muñoz was performing exceptionally well in competitions at just 16 years old, Jason Torres was among the top surfers, Jair was at a very high level, Gilbert was also performing very well, and I was feeling great. However, the Longboard category had a slight absence of athletes, as there were only a few like Anthony Flores and Christian Santamaría. But the level of competition at the world championship was very high, and we wanted to try to achieve a great result. I wanted to compete in this discipline to try to get a better result for the team. At the competition level, it was our home beach, and a lot was expected of the team. However, I think we lacked a bit of cohesion, but overall, I'm happy to have been able to represent the country as we did.

Anthony Flores: At 14, I was already surfing longboards, and in 2008 I saw that the World Championship was coming to our country. I was surfing shortboards quite a bit, but I wasn't very well ranked, so I talked to a friend, Juan Carlos Naranjo, asking him what he thought about me getting into longboarding. He said, of course, I should compete, and to my surprise, I won six out of seven tournaments. I didn't compete in the last one because I was injured. That's how I made the National Team for longboarding, and that's also how my career in this board style began. I remember the level at the event was incredible, with competitors who had been world champions in previous years. Personally, one of my best memories of that World Championship was when, in a heat, Gilbert Brown was about to be eliminated. There were only a few seconds left, and he needed about a seven. Then a right-hand wave came up, and he hit it hard, giving it his all, and they gave him about a nine. Everyone on the beach was celebrating. Imagine Gilbert riding that wave so far out, Salsi Boy was standing on the beach with a flag, and the whitewater came in and lifted Salsi up. When he got up, he was right next to Gilbert on the sand. We really need events like this and real support for surfers who give their all for the country.

The ISA World Surfing Games Costa Rica 2009 entered the memory of many, and although world games were held again on national soil in 2016, athletes mostly highlight the epic tournament of that year.

Written by: Enrique Hernández

General Management: Marco Montero