Iquique as a Starting Point

Source: Surfpress -

Argentina had a very strong presence in the Pan American Surfing games that took place last week in Iquique, Chile.  Beyond the eighth place obtained by these true athletes, the Argentine surfers demonstrated that with desire, work and a hunger for glory they could achieve, in the near future, a place among the top five or six countries of the American continent.  
For Argentine national surfing, it is a matter of good planning and better politics in pursuit of the development and growth.

Martín Passeri, Maxi Siri, Leandro Usuna, Lucas Santamaría, Juan Arca, Francisco Usuna, Martín Carricart, Martín Pérez, Verónica Olano, María Paz Usuna, Emiliano Tabaré and Gustavo Alba surfed the shores in the 8th Pan American Surfing Games and gained eighth place.

The Argentine delegation was very united throughout the entire competition.  In the pursuit of progress, I took the liberty of locating these twelve hard-working athletes who went up against teams that came with big budgets, better training and other minor things like a coach, a physical trainer and a team manager.

Sunday, November 11th, 2007 will be considered one of the most memorable experiences for those who had the opportunity to be in Iquique.  Two Argentines placed on the podium, Martin Perez in the Longboard category and the recognized bodyboarder Emiliano Tabaré.  With two mentions during the award ceremony and an excellent display of surfing, the Argentineans left a strong impression and remain fresh in my mind on this serene Marplatense morning.

The final outcome for Argentina was good and allows one to get excited for the success that lies ahead in their future.  The athletes demonstrated a desire and ability to succeed.  From now on, the leaders and future leaders of national surf will have to rethink the way that they shed light on national surfing.

What happened in Iquique can be the starting point. 

The Argentines one by one

Leandro Usuna: Lele was probably the most feared Argentine surfer by all of his competitors.  His début was incredible and his 9.6 turned out to be the highest score in the entire championship. Unfortunately, in the finals of the main event, the waves were poor and he could not perform well.  He was forced to compete in the final round of the runners up track, in which the waves were lacking.
His fifth position place in the 8th Pan American Surfing Games is a testament to his talent, quality, tenacity, intelligence and excellent surfing lineage.  Leandro Usuna is one of the greatest prospects of Argentine surf and, in spite of his young age, he has already demonstrated this.  Time is definitely on his side. 

Martín Passeri: Warrior of a thousand battles, respected and recognized by colleagues, judges, leaders and the general public. The "Pollo" was the alma mater of unity and brotherhood that reigned over the Argentine team before, during and after the competition.
He probably could have done better than sixth place in the final rankings had the ocean helped a bit, but this was a recurring theme in the competition.  At times, one must play their hand and accept that against the sea you cannot always win. 
Martin Passeri proved that there is a reason he is the current Latin American surfing champion.  At 32 years old, he is in great shape to compete and beat any of the professional surfers. 

Maxi Siri:  The pride of La Perla did not betray his surfing lineage.  Fluid, highly effective in his first heats and great at executing maneuvers when the wave demanded it, the avant-garde surfer ruled the scene.
Following the competition in Punta 1, the Argentine surely improved his final position to the 11th.   

Lucas Santamaría: The ex-Luquitas had to travel the arduous path of the runner up track.  He managed to pass two heats, but without a doubt he was meant for more.  In each heat he had to fight with the temperamental sea.  And everyone knows that when the tireless sea does not want someone to be number one in the world, there is not much to be done.
He placed 25th in the final ranking, but he will have more than one opportunity to seek revenge.  Future and class exceed him. 

Juan Manuel Arca: A great prospect, he placed 13th in the final ranking and was considered the best Argentine Junior.  When he has more international exposure he will be able to represent his country in small, medium, big and huge waves. 
Francisco Usuna:  Just like his teammates in the Junior category, he demonstrated that he knows how to surf very well.  Coming from a good lineage and with a promising future, he has great potential as a professional surfer.  His 25th place in Iquique is a good start for the third of the Usuna brothers. 

Martín Carricart: Perhaps one of the best Argentine Juniors, he has great potential in all types of waves.  His lack of experience in competitions of this caliber played against him.  However, he gave us a good glimpse of what’s to come in the next few years.  He has desire, courage and surfs very well for his age.  He placed 31st in the final ranking. 

Martín Pérez: Martin did exactly what he came across the country to do.  He made a pass at crowning himself Latin American champion in Iquique by deploying all of his resources to advance as far as he could.  He didn’t flinch up against the great Phill Rajzman and took great risks.  However, the world champion, Rajzman, asserted himself as world champion with his tremendous abilities. 
Martín Pérez's fourth place is the result of an athlete’s desire, after crossing thousands of kilometers by bus through the greater part of Latin America, to demonstrate that he is one of the best longboarders on the continent. 

María Paz Usuna: She came to Iquique to win and proved herself as one of the most outstanding female surfers on the Argentine team.  She complicated things for the Chilean Jessica Andersson and when nobody was expecting it, she surprised them and passed her heat in 2nd place.  This young, 15 year old female surfer demonstrated great self-esteem and strongly represented her country’s colors.  Maria finished in the top three of the ranking. 

Verónica Olano: Though she did not manage to classify in either of her two heats, she finished in 19th place and demonstrated great commitment to the team and a lot of enthusiasm to surf.  With training and more competitions she will succeed.  It is clear that she is interested in the sport of surfing for the long run.   

Emiliano Tabaré: The Argentine bodyboarder made it to the finals alongside the locals, who were favored by the media.  Emiliano was effective and achieved his goal of making it to the finals. As in any other sport, the local knowledge was important in the competition and the Chileans took advantage of it.
Perhaps Tabaré deserved better than 4th place, considering the lever of this Argentine.  His skill is well known by his peers and understood in the bodyboarding arena.

Gustavo Alba: He finished in 7th place in the Pan American ranking and could have benefitted from knowledge of the Iquique waves.  Perhaps he was unlucky in defining himself in the simpler waves.  That aside, he played a crucial role in the total amount of points for the albiceleste team.  

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