“Venezuelans Dominate at T&T’s ‘Best Ever’ International Pro Surfing Event”

Event: CARIB PILSNER INTERNATIONAL SURF FESTIVAL 2011

Sans Souci, Trinidad - The Carib Pilsner International Surf Festival 2011 hosted by the Surfing Association of Trinidad and Tobago (SURFING T&T) this past Indian Arrival Day Long Weekend (May 28th, 29th, 30th 2011) is receiving high praise from the regional surfing community as the ‘Best Ever’ Pro Surfing Event to be held on local shores. Venezuelan surf stars Francisco Bellorin and Rafael Perreira were the events top performers, winning the Open Men’s Pro and the U21 Pro Junior Divisions, respectively.




The Open Men’s Pro was conducted in an Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Style Format which is employed at the highest level of international professional surfing and allows for Man on Man competition, which helps to elevate competitors performances. In the Open Men’s Division Francisco Bellorin took home US$3,000 for first place and Runner Up was Jesse Heilman of Florida, USA, who pocketed a cool US$1500. Local favorite Chris Dennis and Venezuelan Rafael Perreira were equal 3rd Place, each winning US$500.



In the U21 Pro Junior Division, Perreira closely ousted 14-year old surf phenomenon Joshua Burke of Barbados in a highflying aerial showdown during the final. Both surfers surfed extremely well throughout the event, with Burke also getting equal 5th in the Open Men’s Division. Georgio Gomez of Florida and Ackeam Phillips of Jamaica placed 3rd and 4th respectively in the Pro Junior Division.



The Caribbean Surf Legends Division was a specialty Invitational Division featuring multiple time national champions, surf pioneers, professionals, and surfboard shapers from Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago. T&T’s Jason Apparicio took top honors in the Final Heat, with Alan Burke (BDS) in Second, Che Lovelace (T&T) in Third, Mark Holder (BDS) in Forth, Billy Wilmot (JAM) in Fifth, and Mikey ‘Bully’ Phillips (T&T) in Sixth. In the Women’s Pro Division Leslie Dickerson (USA) took First place, Cathy Ann Smith (T&T) took Second, and Lexi Lautzker (USA) was Third.



The Festival Vibe of the event rivaled the intense surfing action, creating an all time epic experience for all in attendance. Orange Sky, Joint Pop and supporting acts rocked out the community center in Sans Souci on Saturday Night, setting the stage for a weekend of partying and festivities in the coastal village.




On Sunday the beach was on fire with the hottest bikini babes in T&T, as the Carib Pilsner Bikini Contest took the spotlight and a prize purse of US$1000 was distributed to the top performers. Finally on Monday, Indian Arrival Day, foreigners and locals alike were treated to a genuine cultural experience as the Beacon Insurance Curry Cook-off wet the appetites of the judges and officials. The Carib Pilsner International Surf Festival 2011 sets the stage for many top class action sports events to be sponsored by Carib Pilsner in the coming year.



Competitors and guests from Jamaica, Barbados, Venezuela, USA, and even as far as Australia, have been praising the event, its organizers (SURFING T&T) and its Sponsors, for the cultural vibe, hospitality, organization, and overall impression it demonstrated. Surfing T&T would like to thank Carib Pilsner, the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs, the Western Atlantic Pro Surf Series, Subway, TDC, Beacon Insurance, Digicel, RedBull, Beach Break Surf Shop, Power Up Rental Equipment, Supligen, Tropical Power, Trini Eco Warriors, Sangre Grande Regional Corporation, National Forestry Division, and the Sans Souci Community for all their support!


All Photos: Lyden Thomas

Final Results:
Men’s Open
1st Fracisco Bellorin $3000

2nd Jesse Heilman $1500

=3rd Chris Dennis $500
=3rd Rafael Perriera $500

=5th Joshua Burke $250
=5th David Diaz $250
=5th Jason Apparicio $250
=5th Ackeam Phillips $250

=9th Jonathan Reece $125
=9th Giorgio Gomez $125
=9th Icah Wilmot $125
=9th Shane Henneman $125
=9th Cheyne Jobson $125
=9th Jesse Jarvis $125
=9th JC Schaffer $125
=9th Travis Ajay $125



Pro Junior (U21)
1st Rafael Perreira $500
2nd Joshua Burke $350
3rd Giorgio Gomez
4th Ackeam Phillips

Caribbean Legends
1st Jason Apparicio (T&T)
2nd Alan Burke (BDS)
3rd Che Lovelace (T&T)
4th Alan Davis (T&T)
5th Mark Holder (BDS)
6th Billy Wilmot (JAM)
7th Mikey ‘Bully’ Phillips (T&T)

Women’s Division
1st Leslie Dickerson (USA)
2nd Cathy Ann Smith (T&T)
3rd Lexi Lautzker (USA)

Venezuelans to Defend Titles at Carib Pilsner ISF11!

Venezuelan Surf Stars Rafael Pereira and Francisco Bellorin will return to T&T’s shores once again to defend their Titles at the Carib Pilsner International Surf Festival 2011 (ISF11) on Indian Arrival Day Weekend (May 28,29,30).

Last year in the Open Professional Division Pereira walked away with 1st Place and US$3000, while his fellow countryman Bellorin got 2nd Place and US$1,100. In the Professional Juniors Division (U21) the dynamic duo traded places with Bellorin taking 1st Place and US$500, while Pereira took 2nd Place and US$250.

Under the generous patronage of Carib Brewery, the Tourism Development Company and the Ministry of Sport as their primary sponsors, the Surfing Association of Trinidad and Tobago will be hosting the Second Annual Carib Pilsner International Surf Festival 2011 at “Beach Break “in San Souci.

Expectations run high as the word spreads about the only International Surf Event to be scheduled as part of the Western Atlantic Pro Surf Series, the only professional surf tour on East Coast of the United States of America, with a whopping US $10,000 purse for the local event of the tour.

The promoters of the event expect to see a noticeable increase in the numbers of local, regional and international participants in 2011, with the return of top class professional surfers from USA, Brazil, Peru, Uruguay, Argentina and Venezuela in South America, as well as Barbados, Jamaica, St Lucia and others.

Dubbed “Beach Break”, Sans Souci is easily the Mecca of Surfing in Trinidad; this crescent shaped bay provides a high quality of powerful, contestable waves breaking on a rigid sand bar in a coliseum setting. 90 minutes’ drive from Piarco; the organizers have organized shuttles and accommodation for international participants.

This action packed weekend has a stacked daily itinerary both on and offshore, with three different surf categories Junior Pro, Legends and Open Pro classes as well as a specialty “Night Surf“ as the sun sets.

The ever popular Bikini Competition will be taken to another level this year with the largest ever Cash Prize Incentive of US$1,000 total prize purse and a mandatory online participant registration at the event Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=120533528014912). The beautiful ladies of the Bikini Contest will show their stuff along a purpose built 16 ft. RedBull runway elevated over the beach at Sans Souci.

There is also a chance for the best photographers to win $1,000 US for the best Action Shot, Best Moment and the best Scenery Shots. Partygoers get the chance to do their thing at the Legends Beach Concert with Orange Sky, Joint Pop, Skid”Nevely, and Aaron Marquez on Saturday 28th at 5.30pm as the surfing action flows right into live music as the sun sets on the venue.

As the hype grows, surf lovers and beach goers alike have already begun to book up most of the beach houses on the Northeast coast much to the delight of the promoters and the guest houses owners, as this event has staked its place on the national calendar.

The Carib Pilsner International Surf Festival kicks off on Saturday 28th April at San Souci Beach Break, Toco at 10am, and registration on the beach at 5pm Friday 27th. For more information please contact surfingtandt@gmail.com or Keith Lewis 868-775-1001.

Chris Dennis wins Surfing T&T’s National Team Trials #1!

On Sunday 13th March, 2011 Surfing T&T held its first qualification event of the year and top local surfers battled for spots on 3 National Teams. Surfing T&T will be selecting surfers to represent Trinidad and Tobago at the International Surfing Association (ISA) Quiksilver World Junior Championships (Peru, May 21-29), the ISA Billabong World Surfing Games (Panama, June 25-July 3), and the ISA World Masters Surfing Championships (El Salvador, Oct 16 -23) for surfers over 35.

Each of these events is contested by the best surfers in the world who compete for National Pride. At Sunday’s trials, held in Beach Break, Sans Souci, top surfers faced challenges from both other competitors’ and the waves themselves that were far from ideal but still offered a very contestable forum for the surfers to perform.

Local standout Christopher Dennis took first place and 1000 points in the Mens Open Division, with Keith Lewis, Che Lovelace and Alan Davis getting 2nd, 3rd, and 4th respectively. In the Juniors (U18) Division it was Dario Jordan who took first place over Matthew Milne. In the Masters Division, Current National Champion Che Lovelace took First Place, and was followed by Alan Davis, Stuart Hutton and Lee Quesnel in 2nd, 3rd, and 4th respectively.

As Surfing T&T prepares for the first of the ISA Events for 2011, the Quiksilver World Junior Championships to be held in Peru in May, the association will hold one more Team Trials, possibly in Tobago, and begin preparing the National Junior Team to represent the Country abroad. Surfing T&T is seeking support from sponsors to help offset the cost of taking a team to these prestigious games. For more information please contact surfingtandt@gmail.com, www.surfingtt.org.