TROPICAL THUNDERSTORM HITS POPOYO, SURFERS CHARGE ON AT 2015 NICARAGUA UNICA… ORIGINAL ISA WORLD SURFING GAMES

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Nicaraguan ISA Scholarship Recipient Remains in Competition with Repechage Win

The famed left and right break of Playa Popoyo, Nicaragua offered solid, overhead surf for the first day of Repechage Rounds. Day 3 of the 2015 Nicaragua Unica… Original ISA World Surfing Games presented by Lafise and Claro went off despite a hard-hitting tropical thunderstorm the night before.

A tropical storm hits Popoyo the night before the third day of competition resulting in torrential downpours and lightning. Photo: ISA/Ben Reed
Tuesday night’s thunderstorms damaged nearby homes and roads, but was not enough to stop the 2015 Nicaragua Unica… Original ISA World Surfing Games. Photo: ISA/Ben Reed

The surfers hit the waves and went to work at 8am local time with the Men’s Repechage Round.

In the fourth heat of the day, 2013 ISA scholarship recipient Jackson Obando surfed for Host Nation Nicaragua and won his heat, with a total score of 15.67.

“I’m very proud that I am representing Nicaragua. Thank you to all the people that have sent me good vibes,” expressed Obando. “The ISA Scholarship helped me a lot, because there were some contests that I didn’t have a board to compete. Then, they sent me the money and I bought new boards to compete again. Thank you to the ISA for the scholarship.”

 

2013 ISA Scholarship Recipient, Jackson Obando, executes a stylish turn in his Repechage Round 1 heat win. Photo: ISA/Dave Nelson
2013 ISA Scholarship Recipient, Jackson Obando, executes a stylish turn in his Repechage Round 1 heat win. Photo: ISA/Dave Nelson

The Women’s Repechage Round featured six heats of outstanding competition. The Repechage Rounds allowed for every surfer eliminated from their Main Round heat another opportunity to represent their country with pride. Those that did not advance today are now finished with the competition, but not finished with their pride.

“It is such a deep honor and I’m so grateful to represent my country,” said Naja Olsen from Team Denmark. “I came here on my own, but I have made a bunch of new friends. Team Australia has adopted me and is now cheering for me. They made me a song and even painted a flag on my board.”

“Giving a second chance to advance to the athletes that have traveled from around the world is exactly what Repechage Rounds are made for. Advancing athletes have now earned spots in tomorrow’s competition, giving them the chance to continue,” commented ISA President Fernando Aguerre. “For those that did not advance, they are still here on the beach and cheering on the international community of surfers as a family. ISA competitions are the best place to see surfing sportsmanship at it’s finest. I can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings.”

For a full list of the day’s results, visit — http://isawsg.com/results/

The live webcast of the fourth day of competition is set to begin at 8:00am local time.

Tuesday, 8:00am Playa Popoyo, Nicaragua

Tuesday, 7:00am Los Angeles, USA

Tuesday, 11:00am Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Tuesday, 4:00pm Paris, France

Wednesday, 12:00am Sydney, Australia

Tune into the live webcast here — http://isawsg.com/live/

About the International Surfing Association:
The International Surfing Association (ISA), founded in 1964, is recognized by the International Olympic Committee as the World Governing Authority for Surfing, StandUp Paddle (SUP) Racing and Surfing, Bodysurfing, Wakesurfing, and all other wave riding activities on any type of waves, and on flat water using wave riding equipment. The ISA crowned its first Men’s and Women’s World Champions in 1964. It crowned the first Big Wave World Champion in 1965; World Junior Champion in 1980; World Kneeboard Champions in 1982; World Longboard Surfing and World Bodyboard Champions in 1988; World Tandem Surfing Champions in 2006; World Masters Champions in 2007; and World StandUp Paddle (SUP) and Paddleboard Champions in 2012.

ISA membership includes the surfing National Governing Bodies of 96 countries on five continents. Its headquarters are located in La Jolla, California. It is presided over by Fernando Aguerre (Argentina), first elected President in 1994 in Rio de Janeiro and re-elected eight times since. The ISA’s four Vice-Presidents are Karín Sierralta (PER), Layne Beachley (AUS), Casper Steinfath (DEN) and Barbara Kendall (NZL).

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