The Costa Rican Surf Federation will meet today with the Economic Development Office of the Municipality of Garabito and representatives of ICODER to organize the first possible national surf event after the absence due to the pandemic.

After several months of absence from surf competitions in our country, today members of the Costa Rican Surf Federation will meet with the Municipality of Garabito to discuss the return of competitions.

The meeting will take place in Garabito and the Municipal Economic Development Office will decide on the possible approval to hold an event adhering to the protocols presented by the Federation to the Ministries of Sport and Health.

After this meeting, the members of the Federation will have a meeting with the ICODER Protocol Department to better observe different scenarios for the resumption of competitions.

The president of the Costa Rican Surf Federation, Randall Chaves, gave us an interview about more details of tomorrow's important meeting.

Who are they meeting with tomorrow?

The meeting is with the Economic Development Office of the Municipality of Garabito, and it will be the first municipality we'll be meeting with as part of the protocols being established by the authorities. We'll begin discussions with them to see if we can work together once we're given the go-ahead for the return of surf competitions. This afternoon, we'll have a meeting with the Protocol Department of the Costa Rican Institute of Sports (ICODER) to review the surf competition protocols in more detail and move forward.

What topics do you plan to cover?

We will discuss the reactivation of surf competitions in the Garabito sector, so it is very important to talk to them, since we need to work hand in hand with the authorities, Federation, competitors and staff.

Why would they hold this tournament in Jacó? Would it be part of the 2020 National Surf Circuit?

We are considering the Municipality of Garabito as our first choice, due to the ease of access for competitors and overall cost, as we must strictly adhere to the protocols. However, we are also looking at other municipalities. Initially, we hope they will participate, but we must wait to see how the situation develops.

How do they think they can obtain the endorsement of the Municipality of Garabito and return to competition?

I believe that the Municipality of Garabito, like other municipalities in coastal areas, is eager to revitalize its economy. At the Federation, we are aware of the challenges of reactivation in these areas and would like to hold events during off-peak tourist seasons to provide some economic relief to these communities. Support will come not only from the municipality but also from all relevant authorities, hence the importance of working together.

If approved, when would the event take place?

If the event is approved, we will do everything humanly possible and within our reach. While we want it to be a small event, we want it to be successful, but to achieve this, we need to fully comply with all protocols and guidelines. Staff, competitors, and sponsors—everyone—must adhere to them. To this end, we have organized talks and virtual courses to explain how we will conduct the competition. At the moment, we don't have a set date, but we hope it will be this year, strictly following the guidelines set by the authorities.

Written by: Enrique Hernández

General Management: Marco Montero