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Sunday morning dawned in Hatillo with glassy conditions and overhead walls. Photo: Steve Fitzpatrick

Gualí Ramírez on his way out for the longboard final, which he ended up winning. Photo: Steve Fitzpatrick

The municipal park on the bluff overlooking the beach offered the perfect venue for a surf contest. Photo: Steve Fitzpatrick

Everyone involved in this event owes a debt of gratitude to Victor and Maru Torres, without whose perseverance this third edition of the Hatillo Municipal Surf Contest certainly would not have happened. Photo: Steve Fitzpatrick

Robert Ferrer was another longboard finalist who put it all on the line with bottom turns like this. Photo: Steve Fitzpatrick

Luife again, perched on the nose. Photo: Steve Fitzpatrick

The competitors tent offered shade from a very toasty Sunday sun. Photo: Steve Fitzpatrick

Hatillo local, Eric Torres, knew the lineup better than anyone, and it showed in the way he was able to put together arcing turns like this one. Sequence: Angel Vázquez

Even turns like this by Darren Muschett couldn’t get him further than the semi finals. Photo: Angel Vázquez

Likewise, despite punts like this, Brandon Fabré came up short on this day. Photo: Angel Vázquez

A perfect day for surfing in Hatillo. Photo: Steve Fitzpatrick

Chilling in the shade between heats. Photo: Steve Fitzpatrick

Muchísimas gracias al Municipio de Hatillo por su apoyo. Photo: Angel Vázquez

During the first semifinal heat of the Junior Jose Juan Claudio was booting himself right into the final and a 4th place finish. Photo: Angel Vázquez

In the second Junior semifinal Roger Torres made a strong case for his inclusion in the final where he finished second. Photo: Angel Vázquez

In the Open Men’s division is was Josie Graves who took top honors after being the last contestant registered in the event and shuttling between the FSPR event at Wilderness and Hatillo. Photo: Angel Vázquez

Victor Torres and Jayson Duran with the trophies and prizes on the bluff overlooking the contest area. Photo: Angel Vázquez

Since the entire Women’s event was contested on Saturday, and other Women’s competitors were competing at Wilderness, the only finalist on hand to receive her prize in person was 4th place finisher, Alexandra Aponte, left, with Hatillo Mayor, José “Cheli” Rodriquez, and Victor Torres. Photo: Angel Vázquez

Junior finalists, from left, Marley Puglielli, Roger Torres, Carlos Torres, and Jose Juan Claudio with Mayor Rodríquez. Photo: Angel Vázquez

Commentator, Jayson Duran, gets a comment from Open Men’s winner, Josie Graves, as Gauilí Ramírez and Mayor Rodríguez look on. Photo: Angel Vázquez

Open finalists with Mayor Rodríguez, from left, Guailí Ramírez, Juan Carlos Gerena, and Eric Torres. Photo: Angel Vázquez

Another important supporter of this event, as evidenced by the gifts given to him on behalf of the organizers, was the Director of the Hatillo Office of Sports & Recreation, Eduard Sein, at left, with Mayor Rodríguez, and Victor Torres.

Hatillo Mayor, the Honorable José “Cheli” Rodríguez, looking stoked about his gift from Victor Torres.

Sunday morning dawned in Hatillo with glassy conditions and overhead walls. Photo: Steve Fitzpatrick

Longboard finalists, from left, Robert Ferrer, Guailí Ramírez, Mayor Rodríguez, and Anthony Luciano. Photo: Angel Vázquez

Carlos Torres used an aggressive backside attack to take the Junior title. Photo: Angel Vázquez

Persistence and perseverance are two important skills to have in life. Experience will teach anyone that accomplishing goals inevitably means consistent hard work, repeating things over and over, nipping, tucking, and polishing at every opportunity, and constantly taking stock and reassessing performance. Only in the presence of these attributes will great things be achieved.

Just ask Victor and Maru Torres, the husband and wife team of Hatillo locals who this past weekend celebrated their third annual Hatillo Municipal Surfing Contest along the picturesque coast of their home town just down the sands from their beachfront home. Completely free to the 100+ competitors who signed up, there was nonetheless cash money available to all the finalists thanks to the generous support of the event’s sponsors and most notably the Honorable Mayor of Hatillo, José “Cheli” Rodríguez, who once again came through to make this event one of the more memorable surf contest of the season.

But perhaps the most impressive thing about this event is that it was originally supposed to happen in mid-November of 2010. But when a week before the scheduled dates the forecast looked bleak at best, Event Director, Victor Torres, postponed for early December in the interest of having high quality surf for the contest. However, when the December weekend approached the forecast was for huge windblown surf, so Torres was forced to postpone his event for a second time. Through the holidays and almost all of January there were permit conflicts that necessitated a rescheduling for February, and Victor and Maru decided on the 19th & 20th of the month to run their event. It’s called persistence.

And after all the jockeying of dates, reapplying for permits, and new coordination with sponsors and competitors alike, as this past weekend approached it seemed the surf gods would shine on Hatillo.

In the interim of all the postponements, the FSPR had coordinated an event of their own in Aguadilla for the same weekend. With no conflict intended on either part, many competitors in the Hatillo event simply drove between the two cities to compete in both contests.

Saturday the 19th saw the arrival of a large NNW swell in the 8’ range, creating extreme and challenging conditions at the event venue. Early morning heats were manageable, but when the trade wind kicked in so did a raging current, and with the huge playing field that is Cabo Cabro, many a heat were one-wave affairs. But Sunday was a classic North Coast day. The swell had become more due N overnight, and dropped into the 6’ range. The wind had also dropped creating ideal conditions and glassy waves straight through the early afternoon hours when the finals were hitting the lineup.

The event venue was ideal for a contest, with a public park on the bluff overlooking the surf providing lots of shade and room for competitors and families alike to unwind and relax. Parking was easy along the neighborhood streets, and all of the Hatillo residents adjacent to the contest couldn’t say enough good things about the organization of the event and the general vibe that surrounded it.

A tower in the park provided the judging platform from which the action in the water could be easily seen, and food and drink was provided for everyone related to the contest at no charge.

After the burly surf of Saturday, Sunday’s perfection made for a level of performance that was cutting edge and extremely contemporary. While the wave doesn’t offer much of a barrel, the faces are wide open for sweeping cutbacks and the lips offer ample ramps for launching into the stratosphere.

In the end, the Third Annual Hatillo Municipal Surfing Contest was another complete success. The organizers would like to thank all of their sponsors, including the Municipality of Hatillo, The Room Surf Shop, Hang Loose Surf Shop, Guaret, Custom X, La Casa del Resuelve, Aquatica Dive and Surf, Crosswaves, Pirata Surf Club, Tubasos.com, Mundo Rad TV, and Surf Caribe. And while all the sponsors mentioned were helpful in making this event a reality it is worth noting that without the significant support of the Municipality of Hatillo and it’s Mayor, the Honorable José “Cheli” Rodríguez, in terms of both monetary funds and logistics, this great event never would have happened at all. It is with great gratitude that Victor and Maru Torres, and their entire team of volunteers recognize this overwhelming support from Hatillo, and they look forward to seeing everyone again next year for another edition of this rapidly growing event.

Official Results

Open Women’s Shortboard
1. Maria Kuzmovich
2. Kelly Ann Laide
3. Lilac Alvarado
4. Alexandra Aponte

Women’s Bodyboard
1. Natalia Ravelo
2. Ivelys Perez
3. Zuley Fiqueroa
4. Alice Fontanilla

Longboard
1. Guailí Ramírez
2. Luife Guzmán
3. Robert Ferrer
4. Anthony Luciano

Junior
1. Carlos Torres
2. Roger Torres
3. Marley Pugleili
4. José J. Claudio

Men’s Bodyboard
1. Javier Baez
2. Rafa Rivera
3. Milton Maldonado
4. Danny Colón

Open Men’s
1. Josie Graves
2. Eric Torres
3. Juan Carlos Gerena
4. Guailí Ramírez