Guam – Guahan Napu Inc., the local non-profit association of surfers and body-boarders, is sponsoring two of its grommet members to compete in an upcoming children’s surf contest in Japan on June 14, 2009.

Napu Taimanglo and Jared Brandon Gogue, both age 11, will compete at the Isonoura Kids Surfing contest in the coastal town of Wakayama, near Osaka. This is the first time that Guahan Napu Inc. is sending association members to participate in an overseas competition. “These two groms are potentially Guam’s future junior male competitive surfers when they reach that age category. Our association believes that in order for these kids to attain the standards and skills to reach the next level, they should get some opportunities and exposure to compete and develop their surfing abilities in different contests on Guam as well as overseas,” says Willi Byerly, president of Guahan Napu association.

Both Taimanglo and Gogue had competed in the inaugural 2008 Rick’s Reef Classic I Kids’ competition and placed first and second respectively. In the 2009 Rick’s Reef Classic II Kids contest in March, Gogue came in second place while Taimanglo was placed third. At the Monster Energy Drink ‘Surf The Basin’ 2009 Kids contest, Taimanglo came in first and Gogue won second place. Taimanglo also competed against older surfers in the Men’s Open categories of both Rick’s Reef Classic II ’09 and ‘Surf The Basin’ 09 competitions. He also received Dial-Rent-To-Own ‘Athlete of the Week’ award in April.

Guahan Napu association is paying for the two grommets’ roundtrip airfares to Osaka. They will be accompanied by their fathers and Fred Mendiola of Lotus Surf Shop, who arranged for their entries in the contest and their accommodation in Osaka. The team leaves on June 12 and will return to Guam on June 16.

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