FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

CONTACT: Pablo Zanocchi
Media Manager
International Surfing Association
Pablo@isasurf.org

Panama ISA World Masters Surfing Championship
Santa Catalina, Panama
Event dates: 27 August – 5 September 

Showing that he´s really looking forward to an even more historical record breaking world title, the two times Masters World Champion, Juan Ashton of Puerto Rico, spent a week in Santa Catalina training for the Panama ISA World Masters Surfing Championship.

Ashton is the sole winner of the Master division of this event, the world´s biggest surfing event for over 35 year old surfers. In 2007 he won the gold at home, with pumping 10 foot waves at Marías, Rincón. He won again one year later, in the perfect waves of Punta Rocas, Peru.

The Puerto Rican enjoyed the perfection of Santa Catalina, “The wave was exactly what I expected, a serious break with a lot of power. You can definitely compare it to Haleiwa or Sunset in Hawaii,” said Ashton.

For the 2010 edition of the event, Ashton is getting ready and training hard to win for the third time in a row. He will also compete this year in the Grand Masters (over 40) division for the first time.

“My goal is to make it to the final in the Grand Masters. It would be great to get a good result in this division since is my first time competing on it. But also, I’ve to say that winning a third world title in the Masters would be like a dream coming true!” added Ashton.

The Puerto Rican also informed the ISA of who will be surfing alongside him for Puerto Rico. 

The Puerto Rican National Masters Surfing Team is formed by:

Masters (Over 35): Juan Ashton and Gustavo Bentancourt

Grand Masters (Over 40): Juan Ashton and Ricardo Villanueva 

Kahunas (Over 45): Héctor González and Alberto Licha

Grand Kahunas (Over 50): Javier Gorbea

The Puerto Rico National Masters Surfing Team placed second in the 2007 edition of the event and fifth in 2008.

About the International Surfing Association (ISA)
The International Surfing Association (ISA) is recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the World Governing Authority for Surfing. 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 60 countries on six continents. Its headquarters are located in La Jolla, 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), Mike Gerard (USA) and Karín Sierralta (Peru).