| During November... | | By The Editor - December 2004 - Leer Español |
With the film festival, the golf tournament, the gourmet festival and the fishing tournament, the activity during the month of November was truly intense and of course the results have been even more intense and in some cases truly spectacular.
 For the film festival, besides the films that were presented, some of which were real film-making treasures, the interviews with characters of the 7 th art were the main activities.
The closing ceremony of the Film Festival of the Americas , was organized with the unconditional support of the Huston family who considers Puerto Vallarta its home.
Following we show the list of those who were honored with different prizes that were presented during the festival:
Richard Burton Thespian Award (Acting)
Diego Luna & Ana Claudia Talancón
John Huston Maverick Award (Directing)
Alfonso Cuarón
Best New Mexican Film Award
"Voces Inocentes" [Innocent Voices] by director Luis Mandoki
Elizabeth Taylor Humanitarian Award
Rock group MANÁ for Selva Negra A.C.
Gabriel Figueroa Award (Cinematography)
Rodrigo Prieto
There can be no doubt that this festival little by little has enriched the activities and events of November and as a group they have the purpose of attracting more and new international visitors to come to our destination.
 On the other hand the 3 rd edition of the Vallarta Golf tournament was a complete success. This year the sponsors devoted themselves with their full support and the presented prizes were like never before. According to some brief commentaries I received from Antonio Palacio who forms part of the organizing committee, there was a huge number of participating golf players this year, emphasizing that most of them are international players. Antonio especially mentioned that the sponsors were essential for the success of the tournament. The level of achieved success was so great, that a week after its end, there were already golfers from the interior of the Republic that wished to reserve a spot for next year.
In three years this Vallarta Golf tournament has already begun to generate an important economic income for our destination and equally it had a direct influence that new markets of visitors with a high purchasing power, come to our city. There can be no doubt that at present Puerto Vallarta already is an international golf destination.
This year the tournament took place in the golf courses of Tom Weiskopf of Vista Vallarta and of the Mayan Palace in Nuevo Vallarta.
The winners of this year amongst whom the trophies, recognition and $200,000 Pesos in cash were divided, were:
Professionals :
First Place - José Octavio González
Second Place - Kent Fukushima
Third Place - Luis Arechiga
Third Place - Daniel de León
Fith Place - Ramiro Vargas Jr.
Groups :
First Place - Ramiro Vargas Jr.
First Place - Ramiro Vargas Sr.
First Place - Alejandro Gómez
First Place - Heliodoro González
Second Place - Jesús Torres
Second Place - Mark Kronemeyer
Second Place - Juan Gómez
Second Place - Victor Colunga
Third Place - Daniel de León
Third Place - Sam Wilson
Third Place - Polo Esponda
Third Place - Angel Rivas
Congratulations to the winners, and special congratulations to the organizers. I can certify that from the beginning they have had the aim to contribute with efficiency and quality towards the promotion of our destination and the enhancement of our city. Thank you very much to all of you.
 On another front only extraordinary things are mentioned about the 10 th Gourmet Festival. As it is already the tradition, the visit of international chefs adorned our city and gastronomy. As Nacho Cadena owner of the restaurant La Petite France , that also formed part of the festival, would say: " During the festival the town was flooded with very suggestive fragrances indicating that we were in a period of great food, great drinks, romance and sensuality ". More or less these were his words.
 During the festival while visiting any of the participating restaurants to sample the dishes, the magnitude and the quality of the event is of course realized. However there is no way to take notice of the great organization, efforts and work that is required for the coordination of the festival to be exact and therefore for the festival to be a success. I say that chef Thierry Blouet together with his collaborators and friends, as founders and first promoters of the festival, knew what they wanted when they started with the project of the gourmet festival, however I am sure that they never imagined the magnitude of results and consequences that their audacity would generate. Without any doubt there are many ways to mark a difference in this world, however with the Gourmet festival the organizers mark the difference in our destination with "class".
Thanks to all the people involved for carrying out such a special event which makes us a capital of excellent cuisine. After Mexico City , Puerto Vallarta is acknowledged as a worldwide gastronomical destination and this definitely attracts new and more international travelers. Thank you very much.
And what can we say about the 49 th International Puerto Vallarta Sailfish and Marlin Fishing tournament? Well, to begin, that the level of enthusiasm and emotion before and during the tournament was very high and inevitably contagious.
 Throughout the different activities that were carried out during the tournament, like the protocol of the start where our national anthem was played, like the starting shoot on the first day of fishing, or like seeing the simultaneous full speed departure of more than 50 boats towards the center of the bay, or like the weighing ceremony upon return from a fishing day, or like seeing the faces of joy of those fishermen whose catch is confirmed the heaviest, giving them the place of honor, or like seeing the faces of sadness of those fishermen who have been dethroned from the place of honor etc, etc, etc..these days I could perceive that the word "tradition" really represents amongst our people.
The 4 days of the tournament including registration day, which at the same time marked the inauguration of the picture exhibition "mirror of Puerto Vallarta", carried out by Ada Colorina, were full of continuous activity, companionship, noise and emotion.
 On Friday the 19 th , the 2 nd day of the tournament, I had the opportunity to go on board as an observing guest, being invited by Mr. Ignacio Zaragoza, who is one of the most deeply rooted members of the Fishing Club and this was when the climax reached its highest level for me. It was so high that while I was watching how a sailfish is fought and captured, I made the decision to participate in the next tournament that will be the memorial of 50 consecutive years of carrying out this tournament which is the oldest and most prestigious one of Mexico .
The closing night of the tournament was held at the hotel Sheraton Buganvilla the hotel with the mayor tradition in Puerto Vallarta and there the overflow of joy was complete. During several hours, like in the 70's and 80's, everyone present shared the same table, never minding nationality, profession, dress, appearance or beliefs, while the prizes were presented to the winners and all those were acknowledged without whose support the tournament would not have been possible.
At the beginning of the organization one of the aims of the president Mr. Raul Serna, was to create a space where companionship would prevail during the whole tournament and today he can be satisfied knowing that this aim, amongst many others, was achieved. I could observe very closely during the whole year the level of commitment for the work of the tournament's organization that Serna indulged in and in this moment I acknowledge his complete and passionate devotion. I say that he has created an unprecedented result that is like a watershed for the following tournaments.
Of all the events carried out this year up to now, it was the fishing tournament that received more investment than any other for publicity and promotion. The results are visible, in addition to the number of participants being 201 fishermen, I can share that from an eagle's-eye view, I have the impression that those participants were the source of the generation of more than 2 million dollars for the city during the 4 days of the tournament. At present there is no other event or festival that produces such a sum of revenue for the community in the same period of time. That is what I say and I might be mistaken. I shall wait for someone to correct me.
Congratulations to the Fishing Club and all its members for its success that is also the success of Puerto Valllarta. Many thanks to Mr. Raul Serna, engineer José Ángel Michel Díaz, and to Mr. Ignacio Zaragoza, president, secretary and treasurer of the board of directors of the Fishing Club that headed the 49 th tournament.
The winners of the 49 th Puerto Vallarta sailfish and marlin fishing tournament of 2004, are:
Very soon all the information concerning the tournament and the complete results will be updated on the website of the fishing club: http:///www.fishvallarta.com
 Now a new race starts knowing that the goal is the 50 th International Puerto Vallarta sailfish and marlin fishing tournament, 2005. The responsibility of its organization is in the hands of the new board constituted by the following members:
C. P. Francisco Avalos Munguía President
Ing. José Ángel Michel Díaz Secretary
Sr. Salvador Covarrubias Sánchez Treasurer
To them and to all the members of the club again thank you very much for being an institution that has known to navigate through the years, and in many occasions has done so against the wind and the tide, always carrying high the name and the prestige of Puerto Vallarta as an international sport fishing harbor.
I just had a conversation with Mr. Ignacio Zaragoza and we agreed on interviewing each other soon in order to gather historic information about the club and the tournament. In future editorials I will share with you commentaries, anecdotes, history and news on the 50 th anniversary of the tournament, as well as I will keep you informed on the training that I will need and carry out in order to prepare me to be a participating fisherman in the next tournament.
See you next month.
The Editor
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