News Panama
The Pedasi Airport is fully completed and we are just awaiting an opening date!
Construction on the hospital in Pedasi is fully underway, and every week noticeable changes are being made. This new hospital will compliment our already existing health center located just a block off the main square in Pedasi and provides 24-hour services.
At the eastern tip of the Azueros peninsula in Panama lays the quaint little town of Pedasi which last month hosted the annual fishing tournament. Pedasi lies along a stretch of coast known as the ‘Tuna Coast’ and is in between two world-renowned fishing spots, Pinas Bay to the east and Hannibal Banks to the west. Pinas Bay is the home of the famous Tropic Star Lodge which is arguably the number 1 spot for Marlin fishing.
The 12th annual Pedasi fishing tournament once again attracted big crowds and an even bigger entry than the previous year with over 55 teams and more than 300 participants from Panama and abroad. There were 45 sponsors and some great prizes which included cash, fishing rods, reels and outboard engines which were supplied by Yamaha and Suzuki. Prizes were given to the first three places in each of the 5 categories, Amberjack, Dorado, Mackerel, Tuna and Wahoo.
Being on the Tuna Coast, it was probably no wonder the heaviest fish caught was a yellow fin Tuna which weighed in at 141lbs. The winning Wahoo was 47 lbs and the heaviest Dorado, 52 lbs. Most of the prizes were taken by local Panamanians but local American Dave Head’s team managed to pick up third prize with their 67lb Tuna.
The winners from each category are as follows:
A 47.2 lb Wahoo caught by Augusto Lopez from El Ciruelo, Pedasi
A 141.3 lb Tuna caught by Adan Carrasco from Las Tablas
A 32.2 lb Bojala caught by Calos Herrera from Pedasi
A 51.9 lb Dorado caught by Team Pesquero Sport from Panama City
A 10.9 lb Sierra caught by Luis Arturo Oro from Las Tablas
It has recently been announced the Sheraton Hotel has completed the purchase of a 50 acre ocean front property in the Pedasi area. They have indicated their intention to open a luxury resort hotel to serve this rapidly growing tourist destination.
The new hotel will be located on a beautiful piece of oceanfront property by El Toro beach which is just a few minutes from the 40 hectare Andromeda Ocean Estates development. The resort is expected to open within the next 2 to 3 years and will feature top quality amenities and leisure facilities. With top class hotels across the globe, the Sheraton presence will no doubt help to make Pedasi a world-class vacation and retirement destination as well as adding great value to the existing properties in the area.
Pedasi hosts an annual fishing tournament held by Pedasi Fishing, another local sport-fishing outfit, which last year drew dozens of boats and hundreds of spectators over the weekend-long competition. This year the 12th annual tournament will take place July 15th-17th and is expected to attract in the hundreds once again!
Be sure to follow us as we will be covering the event and reporting back on all the daily highlights, news and action!
It is the abundant fishing, in addition to the area’s dry climate, clear waters and country charms that have drawn increased tourism and development to the area in recent years.
While tourists and developers aren’t the only ones drawn to the bounty of these Pacific waters. Marine scientists from around the world visit the Achotines Laboratory, in face of the Frailes Islands. The laboratory has been operating in the Pedasi district since 1985, studying the life cycle of yellow-fin tuna. Because their numbers are so plentiful in the waters offshore, scientists can easily collect dozens of juvenile tuna to raise and breed in large, specially-made tanks.
Their studies are helping to provide clues as to the feeding, breeding and migration habits of these tuna in the wild — about which little is known to date — in hopes of instituting conservation programs to prevent the population loss seen in the blue fin tuna, whose flesh is so prized for sushi and other Asian dishes.
“The commission (the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission, which oversees the Achotines Laboratory) also works to reduce tuna by-catch,” says lab technician Daniel Perez, “through experimental nets with escape hatches to see if juvenile fish are able to escape while restraining mature tuna.”
Future studies will also include sailfish, he says, which is good news for sport-fishers; their work will help ensure game fish off Pedasi remain plentiful for generations to come.
Australia made it back to the top of the podium after a three year absence. The team celebrates while holding the Fernando Aguerre World Team Trophy as Panama’s President, Ricardo Martinelli (far left) looks on.
Australia won the Billabong ISA World Surfing Games Team Gold Medal, and was awarded te Fernando Aguerre World Team Trophy today in glassy and consistent two-to-four feet waves in Panama’s Playa Venao. Three years after their last victory in Portugal in 2008, the Aussies put their country back on top as the premiere surfing National Team in the world.
The Australian Team included Mick Campbell, Drew Courtney, Thomas Woods and Nathan Hedge in the Men division; Harley Ingleby and Dane Pioli in Longboard and Dimity Stoyle and Jessi Miley-Dyer in the Women. Five out of the twelve winners were from Australia.
Awards ceremony.
Once again, the Aussies proved that the last day of the event is the moment when teams must step up and take risks. Their strategy was right on target, as it was in 2008, 2006, 2004 and 1998—the four years in which they won the Gold since the ISA World Surfing Games started in 1996.
The awarded Gold Medals of the Competition.
Final Team Standings were:
Gold: Australia – 15,000 points
Silver: Brazil – 12,132 points
Bronze: France – 11,816 points
Copper: Argentina – 11,312 points
“This year we brought a mixture of experienced surfers and young guys from the Pro Junior Series,” said Team Australia Coach, Martin Dunn. “This proves that Australia has great talent in every level; athletes who can perform under pressure.”
Tony Silvagni Wins Longboard Gold for Team USA
Fifteen years after the last Team USA Longboard Gold Medal (Geoff Moysa in 1996), Tony Silvagni made history for his country today after a convincing victory in a highly competitive Final.
Silvagni started off with solid 8.17 and 8.73 scores, leading the heat from the beginning until the end. With five minutes remaining, last year’s finalist, Harley Ingleby (AUS) got busy, posting an 8.37, but it wasn’t enough to take the lead.
The american gold medalist Tony Silvagni.
In 2009, Silvagni won the Copper Medal in Costa Rica. Today, he showed great improvement by taking home the Gold. “I stayed focused the whole contest, listening to everything my coach had to say—that was key. This is the best win of my entire life. I’ve being training hard, surfing every single day, and I’m very, very happy. I want to say thanks to everyone from the United States, as well as my mom, my whole family and friends for their support. This is great!”
Longboard medalists
Gold: Tony Silvagni (USA)
Silver: Harley Ingleby (AUS)
Bronze: Piccolo Clemente (PER)
Copper: Antoine Delpero (FRA)
Women’s World Title won by 2011 ISA World Junior Champion Cannelle Bulard
The Women’s Final had 2004 ISA and ASP World Champion Sofía Mulanovich (PER) leading almost entirely until the recently crowned Women’s ISA World Junior Surfing Champion Cannelle Bulard (FRA) decided to put her backhand surfing to work. Bulard became the first surfer ever to win the World Junior Surfing Championship and the World Surfing Games on the same year.
Cannelle Bulard from France.
With two waves, she combined a series of strong backside moves that gave her a 7.93 and an 8.50, reaching a total of 16.43. Her combined score was enough to beat the 13.63 of Mulanovich and grab the heat lead in the last five minutes.
“I can’t believe it; it’s like a dream,” said Bulard. “Doing this for the French National Team is amazing. We are not going to be together at the top (Gold Medal) of the podium as a team, but it is great. I would like to thank all my family and friends—I can’t wait to go home and celebrate with all of them.”
Women Medalists
Gold: Cannelle Bulard (FRA)
Silver: Sofía Mulanovich (PER)
Bronze: Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS)
Copper: Dimity Stoyle (AUS)
Argentina’s First Gold Medal Ever in the ISA World Surfing Games
In what many consider the most incredible and unexpected victory in the history of the ISA, Santiago Muñiz from Argentina won the Men’s Gold Medal. Surfing against ASP World Tour surfers from countries with great surfing traditions, the Argentinean clearly stood out, drawing clean lines and completing strong progressive, functional maneuvers.
Right from the start, Muñiz lead the Men’s Final. It was the tightest heat of the day, with 17.00 (8.73+8.27) for Muñiz, 16.77 (8.77+8.00) for Michael Campbell (AUS), 16.23 (8.00+8.23) for Thomas Woods (AUS) and 15.67 (8.90+6.77) for Ian Gouveia (BRA).
Thomas Woods, Santiago Muniz and Mick Campbell.
An abundant Argentinean crowd and teammates went crazy when the result was announced on the loudspeakers. “This is so amazing, I don’t have words to express my feelings right now,” said an excited Muñiz. “I’m so happy, this is a big achievement for Argentina. I’ve trained so hard for this, and now I will celebrate. My team kept me motivated and with good energy. I love all my family and my dad who really supports me. He is responsible for 90 percent of my performance, because without him and my team, I never would have won.”
Men Medalists
Gold: Santiago Muñiz (ARG)
Silver: Mick Campbell (AUS)
Bronze: Thomas Woods (AUS)
Copper: Ian Gouveia (BRA)
Closing Ceremony
Once the surfing was over, the Closing Cermony got underway.ISA President Fernando Aguerre did not attend, as he is in California recovering from a surfing injury. From home in a recorded message, he stated, “The ISA is very proud of this event, and we hold our belief that Panama will invite us here again in the near future, because Panama has a very important role to play in the future of surfing . With thousands and thousands of miles of coastline, a beautiful landscape and an amazing amount of waves, most of which are still unexplored, Panama offers paradise in a world in which paradise seems to be lost at times.”
The Fernando Aguerre World Team Trophy.
Aguerre finished his speech by saying, “I want to express my gratitude to the people of Playa Venao and to all the staff and all the volunteers in Panama who made this event possible. Panama is an example of a green country and beautiful jungles with a small population, but with a big heart. You will stay in the ISA heart forever.”
The Ceremony was honored by the presence of Ricardo Martinelli, President of Panama, who welcomed everybody and invited the world to come to Panama, to surf and enjoy its excellent waves.
Ricardo Martinelli, President of Panama
Panama’s Tourism Minister, Salomón Shamah was also present at the Closing Ceremony, delivering medals to the winners, along with the President.
With another edition of the annual Billabong ISA World Surfing Games successfully compete, the ISA looks forward to announcing the location of the premiere world team surfing event for 2012.
Final Team Standings
1. Australia – 15000
2. Brazil – 12132
3. France – 11816
4. Argentina -11312
5. Peru – 10930
6. Venezuela-10342
7. South Africa – 10008
8. USA – 96796
9. New Zealand -7816
10-Ecuador – 7740
11. Costa Rica -7696
12. Tahiti- 7575
13. Mexico- 6618
14. Puerto Rico – 6606
15. Uruguay – 6466
16. Panama – 6126
17. El salvador – 5568
18. Switzerland – 5328
19. Guatemala – 459520. Japan-4080
21. Nicaragua – 3516
22. Chile – 2832
23. Israel – 2436
24. Colombia – 1920
25. Jamaica – 1440
26. Canada- 1296
27. Ireland – 540
Aussie surfer Mick Campbell won his heat today and advanced to Round 6
To view all the past & lastest news, photos & videos that the Billabong World Surfing Games has to offer, click here!
It was a day of extremes at the Billabong ISA World Surfing Games in Playa Venao, Panama. After enduring torrential downpours and several contest holds due to lightning, the competitors got the green light to finish off the day in glassy two-to-three foot wave conditions.
With two days to go, the premiere world team surfing event is approaching its final stages. Forty-two surfers from 14 countries are still alive and fighting for the Individual and Team Gold.
After yesterday’s 17 heats, the team ratings are:
1- Australia – 19120 points
2- Brazil – 17200 points
3- Venezuela – 15700 points
4- France – 15640 points
5- Peru – 14520 points
The outlook is favorable for Australia, as they still have seven surfers remaining in the event—five of them in the Qualifying Rounds. However, as the crowd on the beach saw, anything can happen over these next two days with these five countries.
The Main Event finalists were determined yesterday. Twelve surfers, four in each division, are now one step away from medaling.
Dimity Stoyle (AUS), the 2003 ISA World Junior Surfing Champion, Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS), 2004 ISA and ASP World Champion Sofía Mulanovich (PER) and 2011 ISA World Junior Champion Canelle Bulard (FRA) made it through Round 4 and will now compete for a place on the podium, or another chance in the Repechage.
Canelle Bulard from France was another standout yesterday.
Stoyle proved to the strongest surfer of the round, posting a combined score of 13.46 (7.10+6.36) to beat Miley-Dyer, leaving Paige Hareb (NZL) in third.
“I’m really close to the final in my first ISA event. It would be awesome to win a medal,” said the Australian. “This contest is very different from the others I do. This contest is singular, in that you are surfing on your own but you are also really thinking about your team, and you want to do well for your country.”
The Open Men division saw Michael Campbell (AUS), Thomas Woods (AUS), Ian Gouveia (BRA) and Rafael Pereira (VEN) making it to the Winners Bracket final.
Campbell, last year’s medalist and 1998 ISA World Champion, was the in-form surfer of the round. Posting a combined score of 14.36 (8.00+6.36), he finished ahead of Pereira, leaving Santiago Muñiz (ARG) in third.
“I was just cruising and got first place,” said Campbell. “The Venezuelan surfer was ripping. He always rips and it’s fun to compete against him. This event is a lot different because you compete as a team not as individuals. It is rare for us to compete as a team, so we are really enjoying it.”
Moir’s buzzer beater celebration.
The Longboard division saw Piccolo Clemente (PER), Matthew Moir (RSA), Toni Silvagni (USA) and Harley Ingleby (AUS) making it into the Main Event final.
In the dying seconds of the Longboard Qualifying Round 4 Heat 1, one of the most exciting moments of the day took place. Two-time ISA World Champion Matthew Moir (RSA) needed a 6.56, and on his final wave of the heat, scored a 9.02 to flip things in his favor and sent 2010 ISA World Champion, Antoine Delpero (FRA) to the Repechage.
“I knew I had two minutes to catch the wave and luckily it came, and I got the highest wave score of the heat,” said Moir. “The vuvuzelas brought me that wave. Afterwards, when I was waiting for the score on the beach, I was pretty nervous.”
With four rounds of the Repechage in all divisions that took place yesterday, the crowd on the beach went crazy with the emotional victories and losses.
Rudá Carvalho from Brazil showed some major skills.
In the Open Men division, Brazilian Ruda Carvalho, who made it all the way from Round 2 to the Round 7 in the Repechage, was the highlight of the day after posting the day’s highest combined score, 17.54 (9.00+8.54). “I went to the water eager to win and focused on giving it all I have. Although the conditions were difficult, the waves were very good”.
Other standouts in the Men’s Repechage were Jeremy Flores (FRA), Manuel Selman (CHI), Francisco Bellorín (VEN) and Gabriel Villarán (PER).
On the Women’s side of this bracket, Peruvian Analí Gómez was the day’s best performer. She posted 17.06 (9.10+7.96) to beat Mauarii Maro (TAH, 2nd), Karelle Popke (TAH, 3rd) and Alena Ehrenbold (SWI, 4th).
The crowd cheered as longboarder Taylor Jensen (USA) combined great classic longboard style with new school moves. The USA Team member scored a total of 16.60 (8.34+8.26), ahead of Justin Bing (RSA) in second, Gabriel Vitorino (BRA) in third and Juan Malek (URU) in fourth.
Puerto Rico, Switzerland and Mexico joined Ireland, Canada, Jamaica, Colombia, Israel, Nicaragua, Japan, Guatemala, El Salvador and Panama as the countries with all surfers eliminated from the competition.
The event continues today with the following heats. All the action will be webcasted live with all heats surfing on Podium 1.
Men Repechage Round 6
Women Repechage Round 4
Men Repechage Round 7
Longboard Repechage Round 5
Women Repechage Round 5
Men Repechage Round 8
Longboard Repechage Round 6
Women Repechage Round 6
Watch the event LIVE WEBCAST beginning at 8:00 a.m. (local time), 6:00 a.m. (US PDT), 9:00 a.m. (US EDT) and 11:00 p.m. (Australian EST).
Watch the event live webcast for full coverage of the days events. www.billabongisawsg.com
With flags flying and thousands of local spectators cheering, over 250 surfers and team officials from 27 nations around the globe paraded in the colorful streets of Pedasí, a small beach town just 30 kilometers from Playa Venao.
National Teams paraded showing their country’s colors and cultural traditions, singing and cheering. Meanwhile, the narrow streets of old town Pedasí overflowed with thousands of locals, who welcomed the athletes while showing part of their unique Panamanian culture. Young girls wore beautiful traditional handcrafted dresses and headdresses adorned with gold jewelry, as a sign of joy, celebration, love and respect.
As the entire entourage gathered at the stage in the town’s main plaza, the traditional ISA Sands of the World Ceremony began. Representatives from every National Team brought sand from their country’s beaches up to the stage, where they were mixed together in a glass bowl. The perennial ritual signifies the union of nations, beliefs and races through surfing and the Olympic spirit this event embraces.
ISA President Fernando Aguerre was unable to attend the Opening Ceremony, as he remained in California recovering from a surfing injury. From home in a recorded message, Aguerre stated, “Being a member of your National Surfing Team is the best, most important, highest honor that a surfer could ever get—even if you are a professional surfer or you never surf a professional contest. The fact that you are surfing for your country is the greatest reward that any surfer in the world can aspire to.”
He completed his opening address by adding, “These are very exciting times of great opportunities for surfing around the world. Our sport has become known in the five continents. There are white surfers, black surfers, surfers from every religion, surfers from every social economic level. There are surfers in every country in the world where there are oceans, and there are surfers from countries with no oceans, like our friends from the Swiss delegation today.”
Billabong’s Global Events Manager, Chris Heffner said, “I’d like to thank the teams, countries, competitors and staff that made this contest possible in Playa Venao and Pedasí. If this is your first time in Panamá, I think you’ll find the country to be beautiful, the waves great and the people to be warm and friendly. I would also like to thank the International Surfing Association for letting us be part of such a special event”.
“Look at what our waves have brought us!” said Panamanian Tourism Department Minister, Salomón Shamah. “A wave is one of the most powerful things in the world. That’s something I’ve learned in the last few years by watching how Surf brings only great things, by only having a wave in the sea. You don’t need anything else. A wave is needed to create investments, tourism, prosperity and overall, to create the union of the world, so I would like to give applause to the waves that bring all of us here today.”
A great display of Panama’s cultural dances followed the ceremony with El Punto, a Décima, Drums and Latin American Idol winner, Margarita Enriquez singing the Panamanian National Anthem.
Finally, the official opening of the event was made by Mr. Shamah, who said, “On behalf of the ISA and its President, Fernando Aguerre, it is my pleasure and greatest honor to declare this 2011 Billabong ISA World Surfing Games officially open!”
Panama City, Panama – Pana-Health, Corp., Panama’s premier Medical Tourism Company in 2007 signed affiliation contracts with the two largest, and most experienced Hospitals in Panama, Clinica Hospital San Fernando and Centro Medico Paitilla. These two Hospitals have over 30 years of experience in the medical arena, are equipped with state of the art technology, and have affiliations to highly distinguished international Institutions such as Cleveland Clinic, Tulane University Medical Center of New Orleans, Baptist Hospital South Florida and Miami Children’s Hospital, among others. These alliances strengthen Panama’s medical choices to patients looking for first class medical services that are, both, closer to home and affordable.
Pana-Health was founded in 2003 by a small group of doctors and has rapidly grown to become a Company with over 150 of the best doctors in Panama. Membership is by invitation only, and after peer recommendation and review. Pana-Health brings personalized attention to all medical travelers, helping them to find the best doctors in Panama for their specific needs, as well as handle consultations and appointment scheduling. Its alliance with Pesantez Tours, the largest tour operator in Panama, gives Pana-Health the capacity to take care of transportation, lodging and any type of tourism that the patient wishes to do while visiting the country.
Investment propels a real estate boom for Panama
The Christian Science Monitor / Sara Miller Llana
The hilltop view overlooking the former Howard US Air Force Base in Panama says it all. The vacant barracks will be the site of a $10 billion minicity slated to be the size of Central London. Just beyond the hills, the Panama Canal is undergoing a $5 billion expansion, and in the background cranes hang over new skyscrapers that seem to rise every week.
Traditionally Panama´s economy has been based on the service industry partly as a spin-off from the Canal and the ship registry. Panama´s fleet is the largest in the world with twice as many ships as our nearest rival. Legal services, banking and insurance are key factors.
The Colon Free Zone and the ports are also major elements of the economy. Recently the economy has taken a major leap forward. Interest in Panama from abroad launched a real estate and construction boom and major investments in many fields, including energy, tourism and telecomunications.
The $5.2 USD billion enlargement of the Panama Canal, including a third set of locks to accommodate post Panamax ships too wide for the present locks, has boosted the economy into greater acceleration and the outlook is for continued growth.
Panama´s economy, measured through the Monthly Index of Economy Activity (IMAE), was growing at a rate of 10.21% in the early months of 2008 it was reported by the Comptroller´s Office. Despite economic problems in the United States and the global financial crisis, the growth rate of the Panamanian IMAE has not slowed down yet. The former president of the Inter-American Development Bank and the highest-ranking representative of the Ibero-American General Secretariat, Enrique Iglesias, spotlighted Panama as one of the countries that will meet the target of the Millennium Development Goals in 2015. According to Iglesias statistics show that poverty has fallen as a result of economic growth.
The economic indicators seem to back up their enthusiasm. Panama grew by 8 percent last year, one of the highest rates in the region. In 2006, new foreign direct investment doubled from the year before. According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, it represented 16 percent of GDP in 2006, double that of any other country in the region.
The expansion of the canal will create tens of thousands of jobs and contribute $1.5 billion to the nation’s treasury by its completion in 2015.
Panama is also experiencing high demand for immigration, both from retirees and others, mostly from North America and Europe and from neighbouring countries, notably Colombia and Venezuela. Panama´s greatest asset, perhaps equal to the Canal, is the fact that the American dollar is in practice the currency of the country. Officially Panama´s currency is the Balboa which exists in coinage form only, identical in size to U.S. coinage. But Panama doesn´t print Balboa bills. The country uses American paper currency, and therefore the Balboa is automatically at par with the U.S. dollar. This situation derives from the unique association between the U.S.A. and Panama as a consequence of the Canal.
In an article in Prensa.com, “Grupo 4M is also building a 240-unit housing project. ‘We chose Chitré because Panama is already saturated and there is increasing development, investment, and affluence in the region of Herrera and Los Santos,’ said Vice-president Abdiel Suira.” The housing project is well underway right near the new shopping mall.
