By Wendy Anders

On a more positive note for surfers, Costa Rica will host an international surfing competition at the Central Pacific’s Jacó beach starting next Friday August 6 and lasting until the 14th.

Costa Rica’s Central Pacific Hermosa beach was the site of the international event in 2009.

The top National Surfing Teams in the world will flock to the north end of Playa Jacó for the 2016 INS ISA World Surfing Games.

The UCR’s oceanic department sent out an alert today warning of high waves this coming weekend along the north and central Pacific coast, saying the 2.5 – 3 meter high wave crests could be dangerous for bathers, but ideal for surfers. Sounds like Costa Rican surfers will have an opportunity to get in some good practice in advance of the following weekend’s games.

Here are a few important things to know about the upcoming International Surfing Association (ISA) competition at Jacó beach:

On August 3 in Rio just prior to the start of the Olympic Games, the 129th Session of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will take a final vote on whether to include Surfing in the Tokyo 2020 Games. This could potentially make the 2016 INS ISA World Surfing Games the first major, international Surfing competition to take place with Surfing as an Olympic sport.

The 2016 INS ISA World Surfing Games is an Olympic style team competition that gathers National Delegations from around the world. Each team can field up to four men and two women. The surfers compete for individual medals and the coveted Fernando Aguerre World Team Trophy, named for and donated by the ISA President, who was first elected in 1994 and has been reelected eight times since.

The world championship will be streamed live on www.isaworlds.com from August 6-14. Visit the official website for results, photos, videos and news pertaining to the competition.

The Champions from the previous three editions of the ISA World Surfing Games are as follows:

Team Gold Medalists

2015 – Costa Rica

2014 – Peru

2013 – South Africa

Open Men Gold Medalists

2015 – Noe Mar McGonagle (CRC)

2014 – Leandro Usuna (ARG)

2013 – Shaun Jobert (RSA)

Open Women Gold Medalists

2015 – Tia Blanco (USA)

2014 – Analí Gomez (PER)

2013 – Dimity Stoyle (AUS)

Recognized by the International Olympic Committee as the world governing body for surfing, the ISA’s mission is to create a better world through surfing. This is accomplished through annual world championships, membership development, educational programs, scholarship distribution and working towards surfing’s inclusion in the Olympic Games.

The 2016 INS ISA World Surfing Games has been organized jointly by the International Surfing Association, the Costa Rican Surfing Federation, and RPM TV. Instituto Nacional de Seguros (INS) has provided tremendous support as the event’s title sponsor. Learn more about INS here: http://www.ins-cr.com/.

Additionally, the Costa Rican government has decreed the world championship a matter of public interest, meaning that the public and private sectors will contribute resources to ensure the successful execution of the event.