The 32nd annual Corona Extra Pro Surf Circuit competition once again made its home in the beautiful Domes beach in Rincón, Puerto Rico. On the weekend of March 16th, this beach saw a huge increase in visitors who came from all over the world to witness these surfers do what they do best; catching some gnarly waves. Not only were the spectators from all over the world, but the surfers came from different parts of the globe such as Europe and the U.S., as well as local surfers. In fact, last year’s winner was Puerto Rico’s very own Brian Toth, who also competed this year. In these heavily charged political times, seeing people come together to celebrate and enjoy this amazing sport is a much needed breath of fresh air.
The competition started Friday at midday with its warm up round. Later, on Saturday, the preliminaries started bright and early at 7am and lasted until 5pm. Last but not least, on Sunday the finishing and final rounds were held.The winners received hefty prices, $5,000 for the Women’s Pro category and $10,000 for the Open Men’s category.
Beside the competition itself and the beautiful beach, observers could also enjoy the “surfing village” which had amazing food that ran from fresh ceviche, pinchos, and sliders, to pastelillos, piña coladas, and, of course, ice-cold Coronas. The village also had an O’Neill booth were they had the latest in beach wears, different artisans selling their work, and a small area to play games. When asked about the event Juliemar Cajiga, who was going to the contest for the first time, she said, “I really like it! It’s something different from my normal routine and the day is perfect for going to the beach!” Although the competition finished early, this did not mean the party had to stop! The event had many talented performances from different bands and Dj’s.
Being an alcohol sponsored event I must admit I was a bit worried it was going to be quite unruly, but Corona did a great job hiring A LOT of security and cleaning crews. There were people cleaning the surrounding areas constantly, and things seemed to move smoothly all throughout the competition. This event was not only a good opportunity for a fun family outing, but it also served as an economic boost for this surf town, having hundreds of tourists and surfers filling up hotels and contributing to the small local shops. After Maria, every inch of help counts, and an event like this makes a big difference in people’s life. I definitely recommend this event to anyone, even if you don’t know anything about the sport, to just come down and hang out. I, for one, am already looking forward for next year’s competition.