This weekend (May 1st & 2nd), Trinidad and Tobago will host the greatest pool of surfing talent to ever grace our shores. In its inaugural year, the Surfing T&T International Surf Festival has attracted serious attention from professional surfers of this region, securing entries from a long list of champions that will battle for the unprecedented US$3000 individual first prize, and share a total prize purse of US$10,000.
From the Unites States, eight (8) surfers have confirmed entry including Aaron “Gorkin” Cormican, multiple east coast (US) event champion and ESPN X-Games gold medalist in 2003 (MVP) and 2004. Cormican is know in the surfing world for the “Gorkin Flip”, a backside double grab inverted 360 air, the first legit flip ever landed in surfing which he also completed in competition. Joining Cormican will be fellow Americans Evan Geiselman, a Redbull Team Rider and winner of both the Pro Jr. and Open Mens divisions of the Landshark Pro (event #1 of the Western Atlantic Pro Surf Series), Nils Schwiezer, Overall winner of the Western Atlantic Pro Surf Series 2009, and Jeremy Johnston, a Billabong team rider and past USA National Junior representative for ISA World Junior Surfing Games.
Hailing from Barbados is last years Caribbean Surf Network (CSN) overall tour Champion, and CSN Sans Souci Pro 2009 Champion, Lewis St.John. Young Lewis will be looking to stamp his authority on this event for a solid start in the Caribbean Surf Network for 2010. Christopher Clarke, Jonathan Reece, and Junior Female Phenomenon, Chelsea Tuach, who is also Barbados National women’s Champion and CSN tour 2009 women’s Champion, join him to represent the Blue and Yellow of Barbados.
The Jamaican Surfing Association has once again stepped up their support for regional surfing competition and will be coming to Sans Souci, Toco with their A-game. With a total of eight (8) competing surfers, they will be lead by Icah Wilmot, Current and 5-time Jamaican National Surfing Champion and CSN Tour 2009 Open Men’s Runner-Up. Also carded will be Akeam Phillips and Enson Lightbourn, CSN Tour 2009 2nd and 3rd ranked Pro Junior Surfers, among others.
Josie Graves, winner of the Barbados Reef Classic 2007, will be representing Puerto Rico at the event and will be one surfer to keep an eye on with his consistent and powerful approach to surfing. Also competing will be four (4) Venezuelan and one (1) Australian competitor, who will add a lot of diversity to the field. Finally, there will be a solid roster of Trinidad and Tobago locals looking to defend their home turf and keep the prize money in the island.
Local pro Christopher Dennis of Balandra, the 2-time Surfing T&T National Champion who is currently competing internationally in ASP events, will be leading the pack. Jason Apparicio and Che Lovelace, both 5-time Surfing T&T National Champions and Jr. Champions, will also be flying the Red, Black and White flag for T&T. Current Surfing T&T National Champion and Executive President Keith Lewis, will also be representing T&T alongside top local surfboard shaper, Alan Davis, who was Surfing T&T’s Surfer of the Year 2007 and CSN Tour overall champion in 2007.
Registration for the event closes at 7pm Friday 30th April. There will be no late entries or beach entries. Anyone at risk of missing the registration is encouraged to contact the contest director via the information provided below to make alternative arrangements.
Sponsors for the event include Épicé Sunscreen, the Tourism Development Company (TDC), Josef’s Sports Bar, the Western Atlantic Pro Surf Series, Carolina Swimwear, Beach Break Surf Shop, Caribbean Waterman, Mystic Hemp, and Tropical Power Limited.
All surfers, team managers, officials and press can contact SURFING T&T by calling Lee Quesnel at 1-868-301-5051, or e-mail surfingtandt@gmail.com .
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