Guam- (Barrigada, Guam – Saturday, Nov. 20, 2010) Mother Nature’s unpredictability and the uncertain wave conditions during the week leading to the 2010 “Surf the Basin II” surfing and body-boarding competition had organizers and contestants on edge and anxious as to whether the event would proceed as scheduled.
As it turned out, wave conditions improved on Friday Nov. 19, and on the morning of the competition on Nov. 20, Guahan Napu Inc. and Monster Energy Drink representatives breathed a sigh of relief when wind directions and wave conditions held up for them to proceed as planned.
A total of 56 wave riders competed in four categories through the various heats until the final top four emerged in each category. Surf the Basin II men’s open surfing and long board events were the the first of a series of tryouts/qualifiers for surfing athletes to be considered for the Guam National Team going to the 2011 Pacific Games in New Caledonia.
As with the 2009 inaugural Surf the Basin event, the final standings turned up some surprises in both the Men’s Body-Boarding and Men’s Open surfing events.
In Men’s Body-Boarding:
1st place: Brian Cruz (previously: 1st place winner, inaugural Rick’s Reef Classic 2008 and 3rd place Rick’s Reef Classic II 2009 body-boarding contests respectively)
2nd place: Joe Santos (he also placed 2nd at Rick’s Reef Classic III 2010 body- boarding competition)
3rd place: Earl Navarro (3rd place at the 2009 Freakshow Body Boarding Challenge)
In Men’s Open Surfing:
1st place: Fred Mendiola (previous records: 3rd place at the inaugural 2009 Surf the Basin surfing contest; 2nd place winner of Rick’s Reef Classic I 2008 event and 3rd place winner of Rick’s Reef Classic II 2009 contest; 2nd place winner of Guahan Napu’s inaugural Pro-Am Surf 2006 Competition).
2nd place: Joeito Santiago ( previous records: 1st place at Surf the Basin I 2009 surfing event; 1st place Men’s Open Body Boarding, 2009 Freakshow Body Boarding Challenge; 1st place winner, inaugural Rick’s Reef Classic 2008 contest; 1st place winner of Guahan Napu’s inaugural Pro-Am Surf 2006 Competition at Boat Basin; 2nd place winner of The Rock/Power 98 ‘Battle of the Board Riders III’ 2005 competition).
3rd place: Ray Flores
In Men’s Open Long Board* surfing:
1st place: Derrick Ikehara (previous record: two-time 1st place winner of Rick’s Reef Classic II 2009 and Rick’s Reef Classic III 2010 men’s surfing).
2nd place: Fred Mendiola
3rd place: Joe Villatora (won 1st place at the 2006 Longboard Open La Union, Philippines).
* This is the first time that Guahan Napu Inc. has included long board surfing category in its contests.
Men’s Junior results:
1st place: Jared Brandon Gogue, 13 (1st place and 2nd place winner at the 2010 Rick’s Reef Classic III and 2009 Rick’s Reef Classic II respectively; 2nd place in the 2009 Surf the Basin Grommets Open surfing event; and 3rd place overall in Isounara Kids Surfing competition in Wakayama, Japan in June 2009)
2nd place: Joshua James “JJ” Gogue, 15 (3rd place at the 2009 Surf the Basin Grommets Open surfing contest; 2nd place and 1st place at the 2010 Rick’s Reef Classic III and 2009 Rick’s Reef Classic Junior Surfing events respectively).
3rd place: Chad Cruz, 15
4th place: Napu Taimanglo, 13
The next competition for surfing athletes to try out and qualify for consideration for the Guam National Team to New Caledonia is Guahan Napu’s Rick’s Reef Classic IV contest, scheduled on Jan. 22, 2011 at Satpon Point, by the Sheraton Laguna Guam Resort.
For more details about the Monster Energy Drink Surf The Basin II contest results, contact Willi Byerly, president of Guahan Napu Inc., at 483-1376; or Ken
Concepcion, vice president, at 689-2673 or e-mail to guahanapu@gmail.com
Information from a press release.
fperez@spbguam.com
