After the success of last year's ISA World Bodyboard Championship held in the Canary Islands, Venezuela applied and has been selected to host the 2012 edition of the event. It will take place From November 24 to December 2, 2012 at Playa Parguito on Margarita Island. Due to their enthusiasm for the event and the desire to grow the beach culture in the country, the Federation also requested to host the 2013 edition, as well, which was approved by the ISA.

"Venezuela has been a very strong bodyboarding nation for years. It's a natural thing for the ISA to grant hosting rights for the ISA World Bodyboard Championship to Venezuela," said Fernando Aguerre, the President of the ISA. "The waves of Margarita will surely provide a great challenge for athletes from all over the world. We all look forward to a great event."

The 2012 event will mark the first time that Venezuela has hosted an ISA World Championship, though it will not be their first surfing competition. The country hosted the Pan-American Surfing Games in 2002 at Playa Parguito, where the ISA will hold its event. Playa Parguito is a left-hand beachbreak wave located on Margarita Island, and a wave that provides some barrels and high-performance potential for competitors.

"This is history! For the first time we will host an ISA World Championship. It's very exciting for the country. It will also be a great challenge to organize a World Championship in three months, so we wish much good fortune and success to everyone involved," said Antonio Sotillo, the President of the Venezuelan Surfing Federation (FVS). "We will work hard to show our hospitality and traditions to all who visit us. We have the support of our government and that is very important for our success."

In his comments about the country welcoming the ISA to its shores, Sotillo thanked the efforts and support of President Hugo Chavez Frias, the Minister of Popular Power for Sport, Hector Rodriguez, Deputy Minister of Performance, Yuri Quiñnes, the Deputy Minister of Sports, José Alejandro Teran and the entire staff of the Ministry of Sport.

The 2012 edition will mark the second year that Bodyboarding has had a stand-alone event, after last year's highly successful ISA event at Galdar in the Canary Islands. Up until that time, Bodyboarding had been a part of the ISA World Surfing Games, with world champions being crowned since the 1988 event at Aguadilla, Puerto Rico.

In Venezuela, the competition will be separated into two disciplines: traditional prone bodyboarding and drop-knee. Each team will consist of a maximum of seven competitors, including three in Open Men, one in Open Women, one in Under-18 Boys, one in Under-18 Girls and one in Drop-Knee.

The bodyboarders of Venezuela will be trying to build off the recent success of one of its countrymen. Just last month, Magnum Martinez won the first-ever ISA Gold Medal for Venezuela in the Masters (over-35) division of the ISA World Masters Championship in Nicaragua.

Be sure to check in to www.isasurf.org for further updates about the event as they are released.

Media Contact
Pablo Zanocchi
Media Manager
International Surfing Association
Pablo@isasurf.org