Ten Things you Need to Know About the Panama ISA World Masters Surfing Championship
Panama ISA World Masters Surfing Championship
27 August – 5 September, 2010
Santa Catalina, Panama

1. The Panama ISA World Masters Surfing Championship is the biggest surfing event in the world for surfers older than 35 years, taking in consideration the surfing level, a mount of competitors and participating countries. This is the pinnacle for every Master surfer around the planet.

2. It is an “Olympic Style” event. Teams compete for medals and the honour of representing their nations. The excellence of competitive surfing reaches it highest level as each participant is surfing not for money, but for their flags.

3. The Panama ISA World Masters Surfing Championship is an annual event that started in 2007 in Rincón, Puerto Rico. The International Surfing Association decided to hold a special event for Masters due to the growing level and popularity of this division. The decision proved to be wise as these days the desire of every Master surfer is to represent their country in this great contest.

4. The Panama ISA World Masters Surfing Championship is being held for the first time in Central America. It is the second World Championship to be held in mainland Central America since the 2009 Billabong ISA World Surfing Games that took place in Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica. Panama won the hosting bid over other candidate nations because of its great commitment to a better surfing future, a first-class and well-structured Organizer/Host, a coast packed with consistent waves and also to promote surfing in the region.

5. Approximately 128 surfers from more than 15 countries will be competing in the event.

6. The event will feature the following divisions with the following amount of competitors per country:

Masters (Over 35): 2 competitors per country

Grand Masters (Over 40): 2 competitors per country

Kahunas (Over 45): 2 competitors per country

Grand Kahunas (Over 50): 1 competitor per country

Women Masters (Over 35): 1 competitor per country

7. The third edition of the ISA World Masters Surfing Championship will officially open on 28 August with the Parade of Nations and the Sands of the World Ceremony at Santa Catalina. The participating countries will pour the sand from their favorite beaches into the same box, representing the peaceful union of the nations through the love of the sport of surfing.

9. Interesting Facts

-South Africa is the favorite for the 2010 event, having won two out of two gold medals in the Overall Team Standings.

-The only surfer in the history of the event that has won in the same division twice is Puerto Rican Juan Ashton.

-The only surfer that has won two gold medals in different divisions is the amazing South African surfer, Christ Knutsen. He won the gold in the Kahunas division in 2007 and gold in the Grand Kahunas division in 2008.

-Rob Page from Australia is the only surfer in the history of the event to make two finals at the same WMSC, winning the gold in the Grand Masters division and the bronze in the Masters division in Peru in 2008.

-Peruvian Magoo de la Rosa is the only surfer to repeat a final in the Grand Masters division, winning the gold in 2007 and the silver in 2008.

10. Waves

The best Master surfers from around the world have been lucky with the waves in this event. In 2007, the waves of Marías reached a solid barreling 8 foot. At the contest in 2008, Punta Rocas had a non-stop swell that never dropped below 6 feet and had sets coming in at 10 feet.

Santa Catalina is known for its huge barreling rights, lets ask “la Santa” to give the Masters the waves they deserve!

The Panama ISA World Masters Surfing Championship is right around the corner