SATT Head Judge JOHN TORRY chosen to Judge at World Surfing Games 2009!

May 20, 2009 by souljahs
Filed under Featured, Surfing

IMPORTANT CONTACTS

International Surfing Association (ISA)	Costa Rica Surfing Federation (FSC)
5580 La Jolla Blvd #145	Jose Pablo Ureña, President
La Jolla, California 92037 USA	E-mail: jasssurf@racsa.co.cr
Tel: (858) 551-8580	Barbara Campos, Director
Fax: (858) 551-8563	E-mail: barbara@surfingcr.net
Email: surf@isasurf.org	Tel: (506) 2235-6400
Website: www.isasurf.org	Email: info@surfingcr.net
	Website: www.surfingcr.net

WELCOME TO COSTA RICA!

We are very happy to present you the following information and to assist you with your needs.
This information will be updated periodically, please continue to check the ISA website for updates.

EVENT SITE INFORMATION

Garabito covers an extensión of 316,31 km² and has a population of 11,259 people. Garabito is part of Puntarenas (one of the 7 provinces of Costa Rica). The county of Garabito is subdivided in two city districts: Jacó and Tarcoles.

Jaco Beach is located 2 hours from San Jose, making it one of the nearest beaches from International Airport Juan Santamaría (SJO) located in Alajuela (25 minutes away from the capital city San Jose). It is of easy access, very convenient for those taking a flight and then driving directly to Jaco. Transportation in Jaco and surroundings is pretty simple. The city is small enough as to walk from one end to the other but there are also taxis that can you to your destination.

In Garabito most people speak English. The official currency of Costa Rica is the colon (¢); US dollars are also accepted, these may be exchanged at the local banks, also Euros are exchanged to colones.

One of the main attractions is surfing but there are also tours such as ATV, canopy, parachuting, kayak, horseback riding, scuba diving, sport fishing, tours on bouts and cruises. There are also tour operators that offer one day tours, such as horse back riding or luxurious sport fishing tours and kayak.

In the last years, the city of Jaco has witnessed an explosive growth in development. You may find: hotels, restaurants (many fast foods but also specialized restaurants), ice cream stores, furniture stores, pharmacies, supermarkets, stores, bakeries, rent a cars, medical clinics, hardware stores, banks, electric appliances stores, educational institutions, real estates, spas, and other kind of businesses. Furthermore, Garabito has all the public services a community requires: Social Security Clinic, Red Cross, Police (Touristic, Rural and Municipal), sports facilities, recreational parks, schools and public high schools, church, and governmental offices.

Along Jaco’s main road that runs parallel to the ocean, there are numerous stores. Most of them offer products such as: jewels, fabrics, surf apparel, knick knacks, and of coarse Costa Rican souvenirs. There are also several small shopping centers along the main road that have different kind of stores and also ATM’s.

South of Jaco and only a 5 minute drive away is Playa Hermosa, the place that will host the next Billabong ISA World Surfing Games 2009. Playa Hermosa is located on the PACIFIC COAST. Considered one of the best places to surf in the world, though visitors need to exercise caution. At noon the black sand is hot and if you don´t use some kind of shoes you may burn your feet. However the beach is beautiful and it’s surrounded by incredible nature. Garabito is a natural landscape where you may live an unforgettable experience.

This information was provided by the Central Pacific Chamber of Commerce of Costa Rica, for more information you may visit their website: www.cenpac.net or call (506) 2642-2853.

WEATHER FORECAST

Two seasons: the rainy season and the dry season. The dry season is from December to April, and the rainy season from May until November, and the temperatures vary between 73°F (23°C) and 91°F (33°C).

We expect light, sporadic rain throughout the contest week. Light weight rain jackets and small unbrellas are recommended.

SURF FORECAST

Playa Hermosa is a beach break. The rainy season in Costa Rica is from May to November so these months are the best to surf as the swells from the South arrive, this means August is a very consistent month in waves, there are aproximately 1 or 2 swells per week, with an average wave size of 4 to 8 feet. The average temperature of the water is 75°F (24°C) all year round.

EVENT HEADQUARTERS

ISA Headquaters Hotel will be Hotel Terraza del Pacífico (5 kms from Jaco) near the Main Podium.

Options for Hotel Accommodations. Please book reservations directly with the hotel of choice. Contact your NGB for hotel rates.

For additional information, please contact the Costa Rica Surfing Federation at info@surfingcr.net.

EVENT TRANSPORTATION

The main airlines that fly to Costa Rica are:

AMERICAN AIRLINES
CONTINENTAL AIRLINES
UNITED AIRLINES
US AIRWAYS
DELTA
TACA
COPA
AVIANCA
IBERIA
CONDOR (LUFTHANSA)
AIR CANADA
MEXICANA
SPIRIT AIRWAYS
JET BLUE

There are many airlines that make connections with these but the ones listed are the ones that land in CR. It is important to ask the airlines about the cost of the transportation of the surfboards, as prices may vary a lot and also some might have special rates when flying to CR.

To/From AIRPORT
There are 2 major airports in Costa Rica – Juan Santamaria Airport (SJO) and Liberia (LIR).

The closest airport to Playa Hermosa is Juan Santamaria Airport (SJO) approximately 120 kilometers or 1 ½ hours driving . More information coming soon for airline / ground transportation and car rental options.
The cost of a taxi from the airport to Jaco depends on its capacity (3, 4, 5, 6.. people), it may vary between $80 and $150.

The Liberia International airport is approximately 200 kilometers (3 hours driving) from Jaco. The cost of a taxi from the airport to Jaco depends on its capacity and may vary between $120 - $150.

The Juan Santamaria Airport is the recommended airport of choice. FSC will assist in transportation options from this airport. For teams of 15 people or more (approximately), there will be bus rentals available. Please contact FSC for pricing and reservations at info@surfingcr.net.

Rental cars are available at Juan Santamaria Airport and also in Jaco the same companies have local offices. The Costa Rica Surfing Federation is negotiating special rates for the delegations with some of these rental cars, for more information contact: info@surfingcr.net

HOTEL To/From CONTEST SITE
Organization will provide transportation in continued flow from the event hotels to the contest site. The schedule for the team buses from Jaco-Hermosa will start at 5:30am and run until 6pm, every 30 minutes. These buses will make stops at the official event hotels for registered team participants only.

CONTEST ACCOMMODATIONS

Map of Contest Site
Map of Hotels

HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS Contact your NGB for hotel rates
ISA Headquaters Hotel will be Hotel Terraza del Pacífico (5 kms from Jaco) near the Main Podium.

Options for Hotel Accommodations. Please book reservations directly with the hotel of choice.
For additional information, please contact the Costa Rica Surfing Federation at info@surfingcr.net.

MEAL ACCOMMODATIONS
Right by the Main Podium, there will be an exposition area of food concessions with options for meals and beverages. In addition to various vendors providing food, there will be a designated restaurant offering a buffet lunch for approximately $5.50 per person for the competitors. Weekly and daily lunch packages will be made available for the buffet lunch.

EVENT SCHEDULE (Subject to change)

July 28: Arrivals/Registration
July 29: Arrivals/Registration
July 30: Last Day Registration
July 31: 8am - Judges Meeting
10am - Managers Meeting
2pm - Parade of Nations / Opening Ceremony
August 1: Contest Start
August 3: 8pm - AGM
August 8: Contest End & Closing Ceremony
August 9: Departure

TEAM SIZE

Date Due: June 28, 2009

Send team confirmation and team member names to the ISA.
Each team is allowed a maximum number of competitors:

4 Open Men
2 Open Women
2 Open Longboard

REGISTRATION FEES

REGISTRATION FEES & OUTSTANDING BALANCES
Note: the registration fee is the same for all classes of registrants [athletes, managers, supporters, etc]

The local currency used in Costa Rica is the Colon (¢).
The ISA will only will accept USD $ during Team Registration and throughout the duration of the contest. Please bring correct payment in USD $.

The current rate for registration is USD $200 per registrant. The ISA offers a discounted rate of USD $175 per registrant if received by the ISA 10 days prior to contest start. For the 2009 WSG:

Teams will pay $175 per registrant if fees are received on or before JULY 22.
Teams will pay $200 per registrant if fees are received on or after JULY 23.

ISA Payment details.

Items to note:

Registration fees are applied to each team member, including but not limited to managers, coaches, translators, masseuse, and additional parties.
A surfer competing in more than one division is required to pay a Registration Fee for each division entered.
Teams will be held accountable for payment of all registration fees of confirmed team members regardless of whether or not they are present.

A nation will not be allowed to compete if it has any outstanding dues payable to the ISA. Contact ISA Managing Director, Stephanie Keith at stephaniekeith@isasurf.org to verify outstanding account balances.

REGISTRATION

Registration will take place during the day on July 28 - 30. Please review the ISA’s Team Registration Policy and keep track of what’s needed with the Registration Checklist and the Packing List.

The ISA encourages all teams to register by Thurs, July 30. REGISTRATION CLOSES FOR ALL PARTICIPANTS ON THURSDAY, JULY 30 @ 5pm.

List of team size and names
Travel & Accommodation Information, including arrival and departure dates & times and hotel
Passports - All athletes’ nationality and ages must be confirmed. Actual passport and clear copies of passports must be provided at time of registration
Athlete Bios to be used for media purposes
Therapeutic Use Exemption forms. These forms may be submitted via email or fax to the ISA HQ in advance of contest
Indemnity form for each registered team member.
For Competitors Under 18yrs of age: FORM MUST BE COMPLETED AND SIGNED BY THE PARENT OR LEGAL GUARDIAN. IF A LEGAL GUARDIAN IS APPOINTED, EACH ATHLETE MUST HAVE A LETTER SIGNED BY A PARENT NOTING WHO IS THE APPOINTED GUARDIAN.
Code of Conduct - forms must be completed and signed
List of team email addresses
Sand - 5 (five) pounds/2 (two) kilograms of sand from the beaches of your country for the Sands of the World Ceremony. Label the sand container with country and beach name.
National Anthem
National Flag

GENERAL INFORMATION

Representation
A competitor may only represent a country if he/she holds a passport or certified documents of citizenship declaring eligibility for a passport of that country. Once a competitor has surfed for a country in any ISA event, he/she generally may not surf for another country at future ISA sanctioned International Events. If an athlete is allowed to represent a second nation based on the conditions set forth in Paragraph b of By-Laws to rule outlined below, he/she may not change back to representing his/her original country.
Special exemptions may be considered, however, after presentation to the Executive Committee at least three (3) months prior to the start of any ISA sanctioned event. Requests for exemption will only be considered if received in writing through the affiliated NGB to the Executive Committee via the ISA office, with certified copies of all relevant documentation (passport, letters from/to National Sports Organisations or Home Affairs Offices, etc) accompanying the representation. *Please see the ISA rulebook for By-Laws.

Drug Testing
Drug Testing will follow the International Olympic Committee guidelines and will be conducted immediately after the Awards Ceremony. To check on the updated list of banned substances, go to the IOC website www.wada-ama.org.

Passports & Visas
Please check with your travel agent or your Foreign Affairs Department for requirements.

Travel Vaccines
Please contact your Foreign affairs department for further information.

Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is recommended as private hospital care, major emergency or emergency treatment (car accident, etc) can be very expensive without insurance.

Competition Waivers
Each competitor and his/her parent or legal guardian will be required to sign a competition waiver, to be handed in at Registration. Please review What to bring to Registration for these documents.