GIVING GOOD NEWS IS GREAT

The echoes after the announcement of the 20 Scholarship recipients
By The ISA Staff

February was an exceptionally happy month in the ISA office, after announcing the recipients of the 2008 ISA Individual Scholarship Program.  Our Inbox was filled with messages full of stoke, amusement, love and gratitude. 

For us in the ISA, giving this good news; awarding the scholarships is amazing.  By doing this we know that we’re achieving one of our most important missions, working for a better surfing future. We know that these 20 young surfers, now ISA Junior Ambassadors, from 16 countries will take advantage of this financial support as we help to create a better surfing.

The new ISA Junior Ambassadors are great surfers and students, and are exceptional role models for their peers.  The awarded juniors are from 12 year old kids to 17 year old teenagers. These surfers from all over the world may become, if not already, future National, Regional and World Champions. Our idea is for them to go as far as they can with their surfing career while always paying attention to the importance of their education.

The thankful and inspirational emails we received came from the athletes, their parents, their NGBs; all of them packed with good energy.

Barbados´ 14 year old Ametza Nichols told us, “I am extremely happy to have been chosen as an ISA Scholarship recipient. It will be my pleasure to be a good example and inspiration to other human beings.” Meanwhile her fellow country friend, Chelsea Tuach, also 12, said, “I am thrilled to be the recipient of the ISA Individual Scholarship and to be an ambassador for this sport that I love so much and to inspire others to become a part of our surfing family”.

Meanwhile, Jamaican Ackeam Philips, a great and radical regular footer, commented that, “This opportunity is a good start for my surfing career.  This is not only a good start for me, but also for my family and all the other groms that I will help.”

John Urcia, older brother and coach of 12 year old Juninho Urcia from Peru, the only surfer to receive the scholarship for the second year in a row, told us, “Thanks to the great ISA support, 2007 was a good year for Juninho.  He grew a lot as a person and as a sportsman, obtaining the necessary equipment and the funds to travel to different competitions in our country.”

Juninho became the 2007 Peruvian Under 12 National Champ. 
 
Argentineans Brian Masmut and Martín Carricart, who are great friends in the Surf City of Mar del Plata, are already making plans for how they will spend their scholarship money, saying, “We’ve decided to start right away with English classes and to continue with our physical work with a personal trainer, Paul Ulsino, and to train with our surf coach, Sebastián Cano. Also we will travel to the Junior Pan American Surfing Games in Venezuela.”

The father of Chilean prodigy, Tomás Villegas, told us, “We’re so happy and proud that our son is a recipient of the Scholarship, it will help us a lot to help him in his path to become a professional surfer.”

These are some excerpts from the great emails we’ve received and there is no need to say how good we feel to be able to give this wonderful news…giving is better than receiving, something we hope to continue doing.

The ISA Individual Scholarship Program is the first and only program that helps young surfers from around the world to achieve their surfing goals while placing an equal importance on education. The first Program was in 2007, when five surfers received scholarships.  For 2008, the program grew 400%, twenty scholarships being awarded. The ISA hopes to increase the number of recipients in upcoming years.

The ISA Individual Scholarship Program is possible thanks to program sponsors, Billabong and the Quiksilver Foundation, and program supporter, Reef Redemption.

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About International Surfing Association
The International Surfing Association (ISA) is recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the World Governing Authority for surfing, bodyboarding and surfriding. It was originally founded as the International Surfing Federation in 1964 and has been running world championships since 1964 and the Junior World Championships since 1980. 

ISA membership includes the surfing National Governing Bodies (NGBs) of over 50 countries on six continents. Its headquarters are located in San Diego, California. It is presided by Fernando Aguerre, first elected in 1994 in Rio, and re-elected six times since.  The ISA's four Vice Presidents are Alan Atkins (Australia), Robin de Kock (South Africa), Maile Aguerre (Hawaii) and Mike Gerard (USA).

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