Central Pacific celebrates Central American surfing games this weekend

The Central Pacific beach communities of Playa Hermosa and Jacó will welcome 80 top surfers from Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Panama and Costa Rica this weekend for the Reef Centroamérica Surfing Games 2011.

The competition will include open, ladies, junior, boys and longboard categories. Activities begin Thursday at 4:30 p.m. with an opening Parade of Nations down the main street of Jacó and the “Sands Ceremony” in the town’s Central Park. Competition begins Friday in front of the Backyard Bar in Hermosa, 7 a.m.-4 p.m., followed by a concert by the local Los Chupacabras band. Saturday will see more competition, 7 a.m.-4 p.m., and the tournament’s official party featuring the Reef calendar girls at Morgan’s Cove in Jacó, starting at 8 p.m. Competition wraps up on Sunday, 7 a.m.-2 p.m., followed by the Aloha Cup Closing Ceremony with medals for finalists and presentation of the cup to the winning team.

For more information about the event, visit the Surf Federation of Costa Rica’s website at www.surfingcr.net.