Windsurfing event hypes Bonaire as a luring water sport destination

Ricardo Campello came out as the undisputed King of the Caribbean and freestyle world champ in 2003 of the Professional Windsurfing Association (PWA). The talented 18-year-old surfer beat his rivals fair and square as he won both titles at the PWA Grand Prix circuit of Sorobon on the Dutch-speaking Caribbean island of Bonaire.

Brazil’s Campello has developed his own style in El Yaque Beach on the Venezuelan island of Margarita. The runner-up spot in the King of the Caribbean contest went to Bonaire-native Taty Frans, while Venezuela’s Douglas “Cheo” Diaz took the third place.

In the male category for the world championship, Brazilian Kauli Seadi trailed behind Campello and Robby Swift was third. Brothers Taty and Tonky Frans crossed the wire in the fourth and fifth positions, respectively.

The female category was dominated by Canary islander Daida Moreno, who beat Karin Jaggi of Switzerland by a whisker in a heart-stopping finale that also involved her twin sister Iballa Moreno, eventually the bronze medalist and former defending champion.

Daida Moreno joined young Campello in the celebration as both the Queen of the Caribbean and PWA freestyle world champ in 2003. In the ladies’ overall world ranking, the top-five spots ended up as follows: Daida Moreno (1), Karin Jaggi (2), Iballa Moreno (3), Sylvia Alba (4) and Nayra Alfonso (5).

Regardless of the fact that tropical storm Odette had played some havoc with weather conditions for the official competition, pervious performances in other circuits were good enough to piece together the final ranking.

“Action in Bonaire was spectacular,” a PWA report indicated. “Performance has spiraled up to newer and higher levels.” Indeed, the crystal-clear waters off Sorobon on the eastern shoreline of Bonaire, coupled with a sweltering sun and light trade winds combined to turn this place into a perfect location for the final race of the 2003 PWA Grand Prix.

“This kind of competition is great advertisement for destinations, like Bonaire, with superb conditions for windsurfing. The contest puts new talented surfers through the paces and the location right on the map,” said Juan Antonio Aragon, a former professional surfer who’s been acting as a PWA-certified judge since 1996. “Bonaire ranks as one of the world’s top-three spots for freestyle windsurfing.”