Sports - Sports News

(Barrigada, Guam –Thursday, June 28, 2012) Guahan Napu Inc. is increasing its roster of athletes to compete next weekend in Hawaii. The federation is sponsoring a two-man body-boarding team to contest at the Dave and Busters Sandy Beach Pro, a body-boarding tour event organized by the U.S. Body-Boarding Association, on July 7 and 8. This is in addition to Jared Brandon Gogue and Napu Taimanglo, the two 14-year-old junior surfers who were earlier announced to compete at the the Arnette Cash Pot Surf Series at Ala Moana Bowls on July 7 and the 2012 Rip Curl GromSearch at Kewalo Basin on July 8.

The two body-boarders chosen by the association to represent Guam are B.J. Rolinski and John Barber. Rolinski was first place winner of the 2011 Surf the Basin 3 and two Rick’s Reef Classic series competitions in 2009 and 2011 while Barber took third placing the recent 2012 Rick’s Reef Classic V and 2011 Surf the Basin 3 contests. The body-boarders were selected based on the number of points they tallied in the rankings from three recent contests.

”Our association has not sent our body-boarders to international or regional competitions to date. We had asked our body boarding members to research on events and if they find something, we would support them going.  As it turned out, they found the USBA Sandy Beach Pro coinciding with the junior surfing events in Oahu,” said Willi Byerly, president of Guahan Napu.  “Our executive committee and members thought this was an opportune time and we’re fortunate to be able to get two of our body-boarders to compete at such short notice.”

Guahan Napu is donating $1,500 to the body-boarding team for their travel and competition expenses. The trip is coordinated by Lotus Surf Shop and led by Fred Mendiola.

The association also announces that the first ever stand up paddling competition will take place on Tumon Bay on August 25. Stand up paddling and stand up paddle surfing have gained following in many countries and is now an ISA-recognized and sanctioned surfing sport, according to Byerly. “We want to gauge the number of stand up paddlers out in the Guam community and this inaugural event will be an opportunity for all who engage in this sport to come out and compete,” said Byerly. “We will have a long-distance race from Matapang Beach to Hotel Nikko Guam down to the Hilton and back to Matapang, a slalom and a triangle race event.” Details of the inaugural stand up paddling competition will be released after July 20. The association is seeking corporate sponsors to donate money or in kind services and productsc for the stand up paddling event.  For more information about the stand up paddling competition, contact Guahan Napu by e-mail at guahannapu@gmail.com.

 Information from a press release.