Team Mexico SUP Raising Funds to Compete in the ISA World Championship in Fiji Stacey Elkins - Sayulita Life
go to original June 11, 2016

Photo: Ed Dorsett with Wicked Fotos

Team Mexico, a group of dedicated, passionate, and talented Stand Up Paddlers, most of whom are from Sayulita, are raising funds to be able to compete in the 5th annual ISA (International Surfing Association) World Stand Up Paddle and Paddleboard Championship in Fiji. This competition will take place from November 12th through 20th, 2016. Team Mexico tells El Sayulero more about the team, past world championships, their fundraising goal, and much more.

So, tell me about Team Mexico. Who’s on the team and where are they from?

The 2016 Mexico SUP Team has 19 paddlers (75% of whom live in Riviera Nayarit). The following team members all live in Sayulita: Felipe Rodriguez, Fernando Stalla, Felipe Hernandez, Javier Jimenez, Julio Gonzalez, Miguel Rodriguez, Manuel Rodriguez, Geovani Perez, Keven Camara, Aida Ramos, and Martha Diaz. The following team members live as follows: Italivi Fuente (from Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, but living in Punta de Mita), Oliver Cruz (Lo de Marcos), Juan Bosco Varela (Bucerias), Angelica Sanchez (Puerto Vallarta), AnaJose Mariscal (Mazatlan, Sinaloa), Erika Benitez (Stanton, CA), Alejandra Brito (from Punta de Mita, but living in Redondo Beach, CA ), and Karen Jacobson (from Puerto Vallarta, but living in Malibu, CA).

How does one qualify for Team Mexico?

Before each ISA world championship, there have been Mexico National Championships, organized and approved by the Mexican Surfing Federation (FMS) since 2013. This means that there is a national invitation to participate at this event in order to select a national team where all winners (from 1st to 4th place) of these 3 thee divisions: SUP SURF, SUP RACE (distance and technical) and PADDLEBOARD RACE (distance and technical), are named to form the Mexican SUP team.

How many years has Team Mexico been participating in the World Championships?

Mexico has participated in the ISA SUP World Championships from the beginning in 2012, which was in Peru. That year Mexico sent only 4 paddlers (all from Sayulita, Riviera Nayarit), and the team got 13th place overall. In 2013, it was in Peru again, where we surprised the entire world by getting a 3rd place Bronze medal with a 12 paddler team (again, most of the team from Sayulita, Riviera Nayarit). In 2014, it was in Nicaragua, where Mexico got 6th place, and finally in 2015, it was right here in Sayulita, Riviera Nayarit, where Mexico´s SUP team repeated a 6th place overall.

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