Corona Extra Pro Circuit event #2

APSPR
Middles, Isabela Puerto Rico
3 - 4 October 2009

Corona Extra Pro Surf Circuit is ready to kick off Saturday morning

The second event of the Corona Extra Pro Surf Circuit is ready to kick off Saturday morning, October 3rd, at Middles Beach in what organizers anticipate will be good conditions. ‘The surf is expected to be a northeasterly swell with five to seven feet ( 1.5 – 2 metre ) faces’, said event Director Werner Vega. “The wind should be east, southeast, meaning sideshore to offshore, which is good for Middles.”

 The event will feature a prize purse of $15,000, with $10,000 going to the men and $5,000 for the women. A full compliment of 48 men will begin competition in four man heats Saturday morning, as well as a field of 12 women.  Last year’s 2008 APSPR Champion, Carlos Cabrero (33) of San Juan is already entered to defend his title at the powerful reef break of Middles, where he always performs well. His second place finish there in 2008, behind Dylan Graves, earned him the 2008 championship.

Other previous Corona Extra event champions who are entered in the weekend’s competition include Juan Ashton, Darren Muschette, and Wilfredo Deliz.

This will be the 16th edition in the eight year history of the island circuit, which began in 2001 and has become the recognized championship tour for professional surfing on the region. APSPR hold three events per season and crowns a champion based on their accumulated points. In addition to the cream of Puerto Rico’s professional surfers, entries have been received from Panama and the Dominican Republic, as well as several athletes from the US mainland.

Puerto Rican young stars like Hector Santamaria of Isabela (17), Juan Carlos Gerena, (19), of  Jobos beach, Eric Victor Torres, (18), of Hatlllo and Jose Tavares (19) of Jobos among others entered for Saturday’s professional competition at Middles. Santamaria and Juan Carlos Gerena were also at the Outer Banks championships, which concludes the US East Coast Amateur season, since Puerto Rico is now a sanctioned competition region of the ESA program, Gerena placed second in the Men’s division at Cape Hatteras and Santamaria was third in Jr Men.

 On the women’s side, several ladies are expected to put up a fierce battle. Former Corona event champions Maria Del Mar Gonzalez and  Liza Caban,   entered the event who will  match  #2 rank on this year circuit, Quincy Davis and hot talents like, Liselie Gonzalez and Idalis “Lilac” Alvarado among others.

 In addition to the $15,000 overall purse, the Coppertone Best performance awards will provide an additional $500 prize to an athlete in each of the Mens and Womens divisions. 

The event will feature computer scoring by Beach Byte, as well as “Heats on Demand”. With Corona as the title sponsor the fun doesn’t end when the sun goes down. Entertainment will be first rate, Corona Extra and Corona Light will be hosting happy hours, live music, dj’s and heats on demand video from the day’s competition that will highlight the nightlife  at several locations.

Video on demand, showing action clips of each day’s competition, will also be available on the event website, at www.apspr.net. for great entertainment and feedback. At the completion of each day of surf, you’ll have access to every scoring ride of the event, of every heat.  You can scan the draw, and select which heat you would like to view.  Each scoring ride will be shown, along with the points earned for that wave.

In addition to Corona Extra and Corona Light, the other sponsors of the Middles event are:  Alfa Rock, WAPA, Primera Hora, Direct TV, Jose Cuervo, Right Guard, Surfers Village, Hang Loose Surf Shop, Werner Vega Surfboards and Coppertone.

www.apspr.net