ISA Star: Diego Vargas

Age: 18

Local spots: FAE, Tres Cruces and Engabao.

Results: Junior National Champion Sub. 16 2005, Junior National Champion Sub. 18 2006 and 2007. Open Champion Copa Sprite 2007, Junior Champion Olympic Festival 2007, Junior Champion Copa Cris-sal 2007 and Junior Champio  4th stage of El Pelado Nacional 2007. Actually 2nd in the Open category. 

Influences: His father, Manolo Lozano, Xavier Aguirre, Lenin Vargas, Rodolfo Klimax and O´Neill

Objetives: To compete internationally, travel, surf new
waves, to be ALAS Champion and ISA Champion. 
Diego “Chovi” Vargas is the most outstanding junior in Ecuador, master of a beautiful style, radical and modern, the boy has been known to represent his country well.  Although he is a junior, today he is in second place in the Open rankings.  

He has just placed 13th out of 50 competitors in the Junior category of the 8th Pan American Surfing games, and once again he adorned the colors of his country.

He is a great surfer and a better athlete.  Weeks ago, when the Ecuadorian Surfing Team was being defined for the Pan American Games, Diego, having achieved a place among the four best in the Junior and Open category, decided to yield his place in the Open to the great surfer Carlos Goncalves, who was in 5th place. 
In agreement, he declared his decision to do what was right for his team and that he had no hesitation in stepping aside and leaving his spot in the first division.

In agreement the Events Director of the Ecuadorian Surfing Federation, Jorge "Manino" Andant, said: "Diego has always been a very quiet boy and a low profile competitor.  
In general he goes unnoticed in the masses, until he affects you strongly! This signifies a great person and highlights his good skill.  He has a variety of maneuvers in his repertoire, always pulling out something new from his gallery.  
Very, very technical and very skillful in connecting with the sea.

He is a soul surfer by heart. Every day he goes on his bicycle, alone, to surf the FAE. Often he is the only one in the water, on weekdays, cloudy days and with bad waves. Totally dedicated, he trains a lot, doesn’t go out and goes to bed early.  He never refutes a result or complains about something in a championship. His gesture in the name of the Pan American team was very noble”.

At the beginning of the year, “Chovi” received the news that he was one of the five surfers selected in the world to receive a $1200 scholarship from the first annual ISA Individual Scholarship Program. 
This allowed him to have more money to develop his surfing and his academic life.
Among so many other things, Diego declared this prior to receiving his scholarship: "I want to be a professional and I am working every day to be the best surfer possible. 

I will represent my country in all the events in which it participates and with my ISA Scholarship I will be able to improve my surfing without my college grades suffering".
“He is very right in his personal life and very much appreciated by his friends.  He speaks little but speaks well.  His future is certain.  He is the “Dream rider” of any sponsor”, concluded Manino.

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