Press R#5 Middles 2011

Oct 9,2011
Isabela, PR
For immediate release:
ASSOCIATION PROFESSIONAL SURFING PUERTO RICO (APSPR)
Event # 3 on the APSPR “Corona Extra Pro Surf Circuit” competition season.
Isabela,PR
Storybook ending for Corona surfing at Middles
If you saw a Hollywood movie about a surf contest, the winner of the event
would find a perfect barrel with thirty seconds left in the Final, travel for several
meters behind the curtain and emerge with the highest score of the entire event.
Today, in the real-life setting of Puerto Rico, that is exactly what happened to
young Hawaiian Kekoa Bacalso. With time running out, and only having a slim
lead over his Floridian opponent Gabe Kling, Bacalso pulled into a beautiful sixfoot wave and secured a score of 9.67, just short of a perfect 10.0. In addition to
the drama, Bacalso’s heroic effort earned him a paycheck of $10,000, the largest
ever awarded in the ten-year history of the APSPR (Asociacion de Profesional
Surfing de Puerto Rico).
Photo: OT/APSPR
With the welcome addition of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company as a co-sponsor
of pro surfing, the total prize purse eclipsed all previous events on the island.
“This was, by far, the best event we have ever had”, said APSPR President
Werner Vega. “We had the most competitors, the most prize money, as well as
fantastic waves”. Ironically, this was the first event that did not see a local Puerto
Rican surfer in the Men’s Final. While some local fans may have been
disappointed, most insiders saw it as a breakthrough. “It shows the prestige that
our Puerto Rican circuit has attained”, continued Vega. “While our top pros like
Brian Toth and Dylan Graves have been traveling the international tour for years,
now the best surfers from the Mainland, Hawaii and elsewhere are coming to
compete on their shores”. Indeed, Toth, Graves, Bacalso and Kling are all
currently ranked in the Top 100 of the ASP men’s World ratings.
The Puerto Rican surfers were still well represented, as Jobos veteran Wilfredo
“Control” Deliz advanced to the man-on-man semi-finals, only to fall to the
eventual winner, Bacalso. For his part, Bacalso said that his victory meant more
than a welcome paycheck. “This is my first trip to Puerto Rico”, said Kekoa. “I’m
impressed by the surf as well as the friendliness of the people. This really is the
Hawaii of the Atlantic”!
Photo: OT/APSPR ©
On the “Mujeres” side of the program, Amy Nicholl, from Florida won her second
consecutive Corona Extra final, following her previous victory at Domes in
March. Her heat was a close one over Liza Caban, of Aguadilla, who had been the
in-form competitor of that division. Caban won the $1000 Coppertone “Best
Performance” award for her score of 7.57 in the semi-finals, but could not find
the right waves in the Final. Nicholl’s victory had some bittersweet emotion
attached, as she is from New Smyrna Beach, Florida where a tragic surfing
accident this past August claimed the life of a revered surfer who was well
known to many Puerto Ricans. “Fico” Fernandez was the High School
mathematics instructor of a generation of students, including Nicholl. His
favorite surfing destination was Puerto Rico, where his ashes will be spread at
Jobo’s Beach, according to his stated wishes. In equal third place in the Women’s
division were Jasset Umbel, from the Mainland and Alexis Engstrom, from
Hawaii.
Amy Nicholl, Photo: OT/APSPR ©
The top placings at this year’s concluding event were:
Men:
1st: Kekoa Bacalso, Hawaii - $10,000
2nd: Gabe Kling, Florida - $4,500
=3rd: Wilfredo Deliz – Puerto Rico - $2,000
=3rd: Asher Nol;an – Florida - $2,000
Women:
1st; Amy Nicholl, Florida - $5,000
2nd: Liza Caban, Puerto Rico - $2,000
=3rd:Jasset Umbel, Florida - $1,000
=3rd: Alexis Engstrom, Hawaii - $1,000
The winners of the $1000 Coppertone “Best Performance” Awards were:
Kekoa Bacalso and Liza Caban
The 2011 Champions of the APSPR Corona Extra Cicuit are:
Brian Toth and Liselie Gonzales
The following APSPR press release later this week will include the complete
season-ending rankings of both Mens and Womens divisions.
Our generous sponsors are: Corona Extra, Corona Light, Puerto Rico Tourism
Company, Coppertone Sport, Wapa TV, Hang Loose Surf Shop, Werner Vega
Surfboards, Alfa Rock, n-punto, Jose Cuervo, and El Nuevo Día