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[Technorati Tags: surf - news - Costa Rica ]

Costa Rica is great, not only for surfers. And we receive mails from our guests how incredible the trip to Costa Rica was. And we read stories, telling the same. As we believe that every travel will give you something back, someones think it’s Costa Rica who changed their lives. Here some stories:

• What’s so great about Costa Rica?
• School trip as life-changer
• Facing fears at jungle zip

We’re open to hear your story about travel, surf and Costa Rica. What do you think?

[Technorati Tags: surf - news - Costa Rica ]

March 2007, Zopilote Surf Camp

What do you think about the zopilote camp?
It’s everything we expected and loads more, such a chilled out place with a really friendly vibe!

What’s the coolest thing about surfing?
Catching your first green wave and also being able to leave here and say to people “YEAH I CAN SURF”.

What did you enjoy the most?
The company was ace. All the guys here are really sound genuine people.

Something personal you wanna add?
Thanks for everything guys (except Levin because he is a bufty) just kidding! Great people, great surf, great food and great fun! Cheers guys
[Technorati Tags: surf - news - Costa Rica ]

If you’re interested in pro surf events, here an actual, short list:

• Reef Classic Latin Pro
• The Oxbow World Longbow Championship
• Quicksilver Pro at Snapper Rocks
• Ripcurl Pro at Bells Beach

[Technorati Tags: surf - news - Costa Rica ]

French Polynesian surfer Manoa Drollet and Spanish rider Axier Muniain  (Zarautz, Spain) have been included in the list of finalists for the 2007 Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards presented by Monster Energy which were announced today in California.

Nominee waves were challenged in locations as diverse as South Africa, Australia, Spain, Mexico, California, Chile and Tahiti proving once and for all that big wave surfing has become a truly worldwide phenomenon.

It was Drollet’s death defying ride at his home break of Teahupoo, Tahiti which earned him nomination in the monster tube category while Muniain earned his spot on the list in the monster paddle in category.

Muniain tackled his incredible paddle in ride at Playa Gris, Spain on November 29, 2006 and will be up for $USD 15,000 should he win his category.  He is the only Spanish surfer nominated for a prestigious Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Award.

The winners will be announced at the seventh-annual invitation-only show before 2000 surf world VIPs on April 13 at the Grove Theater in Anaheim, California.  The night’s full schedule of activities will be carried on a free LIVE webcast.

In the meantime dramatic photos and video of every nominee ride are now available for examination at the updated event site at www.BillabongXXL.com

This year’s top prize of US$50,000 will be awarded in a brand-new category in the XXL event — the Ride of the Year — designed to acknowledge the most amazing performance on a big wave documented on video over the course of the last 12 months.  And there is little doubt these five finalists are among the most incredible moments of surfing action ever caught on film. The nominees include Californians Ken “Skindog” Collins and Rusty Long towing and paddling into massive barrels in Mexico, South African Andrew Marr’s huge gray beast off Capetown and death-defying Tahitian tubes by local Manoa Drollet and New Zealander Doug Young.

Aussie pair Alfy Cater (Yallingup, W.A.) and Damon Eastaugh (Yallingup, W.A.) are contenders for the Billabong XXL Biggest Wave Award for the tallest face of the year including the four biggest waves ever recorded in the Southern Hemisphere: two challenged by Greg Long and Andrew Marr in South Africa and the other two off the coast of Western Australia by Cater and Eastaugh.  They are joined by one of the few bright moments seen along the USA West Coast in the last year — a lonely wave ridden by Alistair Craft at Ghost Tree off Pebble Beach, California. The one wave deemed largest by a panel of experts will win the surfer $15,000.  Last year the category was topped by Brad Gerlach’s 68-footer ridden off Ensenada, Mexico.

The Monster Paddle division prize was upgraded this year to an equivalent $15,000 in recognition of the roots of big wave riding.  And this year two of the nominees — Hawaiians Garrett McNamara and Dave Wassel — come from the spiritual homeland of surfing, yet caught their waves at Maverick’s in Northern California during a difficult season for surf in the North Pacific.  Also joining their ranks is San Francisco’s Ben Andrews at Maverick’s along with some spicy latin flavor — Peru’s Gabriel Villaran for a ride in Chile, and Basque surfer Axier Muniain for a wave in northwest Spain.

Australian Martin Paradisis is nominated in the Monster Tube category for his voyage beneath a remarkably thick lip at the notorious Shipstern Bluff near his hometown of Hobart, Tasmania. Also nominated for the most spectacular barrel of the year are Shane Dorian of Kona, Hawaii for his reprise of last year’s amazing cavern at Teahupoo, Tahiti.

The event website at www.BillabongXXL.com features still and motion analysis of the finalist rides as captured by many of the world’s best surfing photographers.  The lensmen are also up for prizes up to $5000 honoring their ability to nail the critical moment.

The Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards are presented by Monster Energy.  Surfline is the official surf forecast and Verizon Wireless if the official communications provider.  The event is sponsored by Surfing Magazine and Hawaiian Airlines.

BILLABONG XXL RIDE OF THE YEAR AWARD
(Surfer prize $50,000  -  Video prize $5000)
Ken “Skindog” Collins  (Santa Cruz, California, USA) at Puerto Escondido, Mexico on June 17, 2006
(Video by Josh Pomer)
Manoa Drollet (Tahiti, French Polynesia) at Teahupoo, Tahiti on July 28, 2006
(Video by Kendall O’Brian)
Rusty Long  (San Clemente, California, USA) at Puerto Escondido, Mexico on June 2, 2006
(Video by Andrew Kopjak)
Andrew Marr  (Capetown, South Africa) at Dungeons, South Africa on July 30. 2006
(Video by Grant Washburn)
Doug Young  (Dunedin, New Zealand) at Teahupoo, Tahiti on October 13, 2006
(Video by Christopher Kirkham)

BILLABONG XXL BIGGEST WAVE AWARD
(Surfer prize $15,000  -  Photo/video prize: $4000)
Alfy Cater  (Yallingup, Western Australia) off the Western Australia Coast on July 5, 2006
(Photos by Russell Ord, Jamie Scott  •  Video by Rick Rifici)
Alistair Craft  (Santa Cruz, California, USA) at Ghost Tree, Pebble Beach, California on December 11, 2006
(Photos by Robert Brown, Bart Keagy, Michael Weber)
Damon Eastaugh  (Yallingup, Western Australia) off the Western Australia Coast on July 5, 2006
(Photos by Russell Ord, Jamie Scott  •  Video by Rick Rifici)
Greg Long  (San Clemente, California, USA) at Dungeons, South Africa on July 30. 2006
(Photos by Al McKinnon, Shaun Timoney)
Andrew Marr  (Capetown, South Africa) at Dungeons, South Africa on July 30. 2006
(Photos by Al McKinnon, Shaun Timoney •  Video by Grant Washburn)

MONSTER PADDLE AWARD
(Surfer prize $15,000  -  Photo/video prize: $4000)
Ben Andrews  (San Francisco, California, USA) at Maverick’s, Half Moon Bay, California on December 11, 2006
(Photos by Don Montgomery, Frank Quirarte  •  Video by Larry Haynes)
Garrett McNamara  (Haleiwa, Hawaii, USA) at Maverick’s, Half Moon Bay, California on December 14, 2006
(Video by Ryan Casey)
Axier Muniain  (Zarautz, Spain) at Playa Gris, Spain on November 29, 2006
(Photos by Pablo Azkue  •  Video by Manex Artola)
Gabriel Villaran  (Lima, Peru) at El Buey, Arica, Chile on June 20, 2006
(Photos by Kai Benson)
Dave Wassel  (Haleiwa, Hawaii, USA) at Maverick’s, Half Moon Bay, California on December 15, 2006
(Photos by Fred Pompermeyer  •  Video by Larry Haynes)

MONSTER TUBE AWARD
(Surfer prize $5,000 -  Photo/video prize: $2000)
Ken “Skindog” Collins  (Santa Cruz, California, USA) at Puerto Escondido, Mexico on June 17, 2006
(Photos by Edwin Morales  •  Video by Josh Pomer)
Shane Dorian  (Kona, Hawaii, USA) at Teahupoo, Tahiti on July 28, 2006
(Video by Kendall O’Brian)
Manoa Drollet  (Tahiti, French Polynesia) at Teahupoo, Tahiti on July 28, 2006
(Photos by Tim McKenna  • Video by Kendall O’Brian)
Martin Paradisis  (Hobart, Tasmania, Australia) at Shipstern Bluff, Tasmania on May 19, 2006
(Photos by Remi Chauvin, Stuart Gibson  •  Video by Tom Webster)
Doug Young  (Dunedin, New Zealand) at Teahupoo, Tahiti on October 13, 2006
(Photos by Sean Collins  •  Video by Christopher Kirkham)

SURFLINE MEN’S BEST OVERALL PERFORMANCE AWARD
(Surfer prize $5,000)
Danilo Couto  (Bahia, Brazil)
Greg Long  (San Clemente, California, USA)
Garrett McNamara  (Haleiwa, Hawaii, USA)

BILLABONG WOMEN’S BEST OVERALL PERFORMANCE AWARD
(Surfer prize $5,000)
Maya Gabeira  (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
Andrea Moller  (Maui, Hawaii, USA)
Jamilah Star  (Santa Cruz, California, USA)
[Technorati Tags: surf - news - Costa Rica ]

It’s interesting how surfing can be such an integral part of life. “Interesting” is probably the wrong term to describe this, from an insider perspective. But what means “surfing” to you? Let us know and comment!

I just read a story about a father and a son from Surf City, North Carolina. They work together, they surf together. They say surfing made them close friends. And Zack, the son, adds: “I’ve learned probably more on my trips around the world than I have in pretty much most of my classes in school, as far as lifelong lessons, how to be a better person and realizing how good you have it.” How true!

Talking about school, I have to tell you about Mr. T or Tucker, teacher at the Siuslaw West, the Florence (Oregon) district’s alternative high school. Tucker is definetively different, quoting Bob Marley, drinking Kombucha tea and display skateboards in his class room. We don’t have to mention that Tucker surfs… Tucker himself is a story right enough to read.
[Technorati Tags: surf - lifestyle - Costa Rica ]

As Zopilote heads for its second spring, the weather could not be more beautiful than right now. Long, sunny days, perfect swell and a great bunch of guys in the camp.

In the time to come, we will present you some of our guests, their ideas, their surf, their adventures. Crazy like us, they love Costa Rica and the camp. Hope we’ll see you soon!
[Technorati Tags: surf - news - Costa Rica ]