Venezuelans to defend titles at surf festival

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 28-30. Last year in the Open Professional Division, Pereira walked away with the first-place title and US$3,000, while his fellow countryman, Bellorin, copped second place and a cash prize of US$1,100.
In the Professional Juniors Division (U21) the dynamic duo traded places with Bellorin taking first place and US$500, while Pereira took second 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 scenic Sans Souci, Trinidad.

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 leg 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, as well as Barbados, Jamaica, St Lucia, among 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.

Located within a 90-minute drive time from Piarco International Airport, the organisers have arranged 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 for when the sun sets. The ever popular bikini competition will be taken to another level this year, with the largest ever cash prize incentive to date of US$1,000 and a mandatory online participant registration at the event's Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=120533528014912.Francisco Bellorin, winner, Professional Juniors Division International Surf Festival 2010.

The beautiful women of the bikini contest will display their beach bodies along a purpose-built 16-foot RedBull runway elevated over the beach. There is also a chance for the best photographers to win US$1,000 for the Best Action Shot, Best Moment and the Best Scenery Shots. And as the sun sets on the venue on May 28, the surfing action will flow right into live music with the Legends Beach Concert featuring performers such as Orange Sky, Joint Pop, Skid Nevely, and Aaron Marquez .

For more information on this extravaganza, contact [email protected] or Keith Lewis at 868-775-1001. Also follow the event on Facebook via https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=120533528014912