Jamaica Makka Pro Surfing Event to be held July 16 - 18, 2010
Preparations are well under way for the JSA/CSN/WAPSS Makka Pro according to the JSA President Billy Wilmot. In his words, “Things are looking bright with top pros from around the region and from as far away as the US west coast, Trinidad and Barbados already confirming their participation in Jamaica’s biggest Pro surfing event.”
The event will be sponsored by WAPSS and EPICE. WAPSS director Mr. Mike Bloom who recently travelled to Jamaica last week felt that the adverse reports,which to some degree affected tourism in Jamaica, were typically a case media blowing things out of proportion. He did not witness any sign of violence during his trip to Kingston. Commenting on this, he said, “Just giving a report from Jamaica to those interested in the unrest and warnings not to travel. I flew in to Kingston Airport yesterday, grabbed a cab and headed to Bull Bay to stay with a friend. I have seen no violence of any kind, in fact just the opposite. It looks to me like all the negative press is just another example of the media blowing things out of proportion. The area of unrest is a very small area and is not anywhere near the beach. The Makka Pro is in full swing and early preparations are under way. I even spent a good part of one day in Kingston meeting with sponsors and TV stations and there is no violence in sight. WAPSS and EPICE will be proud sponsors of the event and are here to help develop and support competitive surfing in Jamaica. However I can’t make it a point’s event for WAPSS due to the short notice for competitors but things are heating up for a really good event. The contest area is well outside of Kingston, and the vibe is Irie.”
The event has been endorsed by the Jamaica Tourist Board. The 2 days of competition will see participation in three divisions, open men, open women and juniors with a US$75.00 entry fee in the open divisions and US$50.00 in the juniors. There will be cash price for the top 16 finishers.
Surfing is not popular on Jamaica's North Coast as large waves are not common between Montego and Ocho Rios, but windsurfing and, more recently, kitesurfing are enjoyed by many at Silver Sands Jamaica, where high winds are more reliable especially in June and July.
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