From August 6-14, Playa Jacó, Costa Rica Will Host the World’s Best National Surfing Teams
From August 6-14, the top National Surfing Teams in the world will flock to Playa Jacó, on the beautiful Pacific Coast of Costa Rica to surf in the name of their nation and go for Gold at the 2016 INS ISA World Surfing Games.
Here are the ten things you need to know about the competition:
1. The Olympics
On August 3 in Rio just prior to the start of the Olympic Games, the 129th Session of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will take a final vote on whether to include Surfing in the Tokyo 2020 Games. This could potentially make the 2016 INS ISA World Surfing Games the first major, international Surfing competition to take place with Surfing as an Olympic sport.
2. The Competition
The 2016 INS ISA World Surfing Games is an Olympic style team competition that gathers National Delegations from around the world. Each team can field up to four men and two women. The surfers compete for individual medals and the coveted Fernando Aguerre World Team Trophy, named for and donated by the ISA President, who was first elected in 1994 and has been reelected eight times since.
3. How to watch online?
The world championship will be streamed live on www.isaworlds.com from August 6-14. Visit the official website for results, photos, videos and news pertaining to the competition.
4. The Champions
The Champions from the previous three editions of the ISA World Surfing Games are as follows:
Team Gold Medalists
2015 – Costa Rica
2014 – Peru
2013 – South Africa
Open Men Gold Medalists
2015 – Noe Mar McGonagle (CRC)
2014 – Leandro Usuna (ARG)
2013 – Shaun Jobert (RSA)
Open Women Gold Medalists
2015 – Tia Blanco (USA)
2014 – Analí Gomez (PER)
2013 – Dimity Stoyle (AUS)
Both reigning individual Gold Medalists, Tia Blanco (USA) and Noe Mar McGonagle (CRC), will return to represent their respective nations and defend their titles in Costa Rica.
See the full list of ISA World Championship results here: http://www.isasurf.org/events/isa-world-champions/
5. The Venue
Playa Jacó is located on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast about 100 kilometers from the capital of San José. The competition will be held on the north end of Playa Jacó in front of the Best Western hotel, a stretch of beach that offers quality beach break conditions.
The waves at Jacó are better on the dropping and rising tides, which will be taken into account when deciding what time of the day the contest will run.
6. The History
The ISA World Surfing Games began in 1964 under the name ISF World Championships, and was run by the International Surfing Federation, the first international surfing organization. In 1976, the ISF became the ISA. From its beginning up to present day, the contestants in the World Championship traveled to compete as a team and represent their respective nations.
The ISA World Surfing Games will return to Costa Rica after the successful edition in 2009, held in Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica, which drew tens of thousands of fans from around the globe to watch the world-class surfing.
7. Social Media
The ISA will be posting live updates, photos and videos from the competition on social media. Follow along on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat and don’t forget use the official hashtags #ISAworlds and #ISAWSG.
Facebook: International Surfing Association
Instagram: @ISAsurfing
Snapchat: @ISA_Surfing
Twitter: @ISAsurfing
8. The Schedule
The schedule for the 2016 INS ISA World Surfing Games will be as follows:
August 6: Official Press Conference in Playa Jacó at 9 am, Opening Ceremony at 10am featuring the Parade of Nations and Sands of the World Ceremony
August 7-14: Competition
August 14: Final day of competition, Awards Presentation and Closing Ceremony
9. The Mission
Recognized by the IOC as the world governing body for Surfing, the ISA’s mission is to create a better world through Surfing. This is accomplished through annual World Championships, membership development, educational programs, scholarship distribution and working towards Surfing’s inclusion in the Olympic Games.
10. The Support
The 2016 INS ISA World Surfing Games has been organized in conjunction by the International Surfing Association, the Costa Rican Surfing Federation and RPM TV. Instituto Nacional de Seguros (INS) has provided tremendous support as the event’s title sponsor. Learn more about INS here: http://www.ins-cr.com/.
Additionally, the Costa Rican government has decreed the world championship a matter of public interest, meaning that the public and private sectors will contribute resources to ensure the successful execution of the event.
