Oui monsieur! , French won the World Surf Championship in Costa Rica

Billabong ISA World Surfing Games Costa Rica 2009, Hermosa Beach, Jaco

Playa Hermosa, Jaco Costa Rica. French Jeremy Flores was crowned as the new world champion of the Billabong ISA World Surfing Games in Hermosa Beach. The scepter lies in the athlete’s hands that showed the best regularity with a high level of surfing after eight days of competition on the excellent waves of Playa Hermosa, Jaco in the province of Puntarenas in Costa Rica.

The finals had a high world level, where four of the best boarders of the tournament were in the water for about 25 minutes. There were also Ben Bourgeois (fourth place), Gabriel Villaran (third) and Cory Lopez (second). Rarely, the new champion was surpassed by Jason Torres Costa Rica almost all the competition. Since they faced each other four times, the Costa Rican won the three first and ended failing in the round previous of the medal ceremony. The final merit is for the French who was leaving rivals behind with skills, mental game and strategy in the ocean. With this attitude he got to get to the highest position.

According to Flores, this title is place next to other big deeds on his career such as the circuit of the World Qualification Series, his position on number 10 of the World Tour and be chosen as the best rookie by the Professional Surfers Association. The French took the lead in the heat of the final since he got to the water. This wasn’t a regular attitude from the French who was used to wait until the end to turn the series on his favor. But in the definition for the gold medal, Flores started to work his victory very early with some maneuvers as the aerial, the floaters and, above them, the snaps (ride on the wave’s crest, “hit” the water with the board and get down with good style with the course of the wave).

After the half of the heat, the opponents began to take the waves putting in danger the French’s position. Gabriel Villaran, Peruvian, was the only Latin American in the finals. The Peruvian, cheered by mostly audience from Costa Rica, put all his experience and got points that place him very close to the first position. At the same time, American Cory López got some credits on his maneuvers, besides he counted with the support of his teammate Ben Bourgeois.

Five minutes before the end, Flores began to mark the American Lopez, who needed a wave with a minimum of seven points to get the first place, but in the last try he got a 6,2. The chronometer marked the last seconds of the heat and Flores was raising his hands in a sign of victory. Just minutes after, a gold medal was hanging on his neck.

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