From high tide to prime time ... Imani Wilmot's surfing life captured on film

Keisha Hill, Staff Reporter

Surfing in Jamaica has reached new levels since the sport became popular in the late 1990s. A recently-released DVD from the International Surfing Association (ISA) features one of Jamaica's top female surfers, Imani Wilmot.

Wilmot was one of five recipients from various regions across the world to be awarded a scholarship by the ISA in 2007.

Stars of DVD

The 45-minute DVD entitled, For ABetter Surfing Future, features the life of the five 2007 ISA Individual Scholarship Programme recipients including Juninho Urcia from Peru, Guillermo Satt from Chile, Diego Vargas from Ecuador, Lungani Memani from South Africa and Wilmot from Jamaica.

The storyline includes their dreams and gives an inside look into the day-to-day lives of those who follow the great dream of becoming professional surfers.

Exposure welcomed

According to president of the Jamaica Surfing Association (JSA) and Imani's father, Billy Wilmot, the promotion of the DVD is welcomed by the organisation.

"It's a synopsis of the lives of these surfers. The DVD is being circulated all around the world and it will definitely be good for us as it exposes the talents of our surfers, especially our talented females," Wilmot said.

This is the second year that the JSA has had recipients chosen by the ISA. National junior champion Ackeam Phillips was selected for one of 20 individual scholarships this year. Phillips, who represented Jamaica at the ISA Quiksilver 2008 World Junior Surfing Championships last month, will be featured in a similar DVD scheduled to be released next year.

For A Better Surfing Future is not for sale but can be downloaded at www.isasurf.org.

Premiere

At the sixth staging of the ISA Quiksilver World Junior Surfing Championship in Seignosse, France, the feature premiered in front of representatives of the 27 participating countries. It was a moment in which the invitees were able to see a different type of surfing movie.

The ISA Individual Scholarship Programme aims to give assistance to academic surfers that are on the right track of becoming great surfing stars, but who are also in need of financial assistance to achieve their goals.