By Maria Alejandra Peña

Thaina Luna is the new president of the Venezuelan Surf Federation. She faces multiple challenges: not being a recognized figure in Venezuelan surfing, the country's socioeconomic situation, starting without a budget, and overcoming the suspicion with which the surf community views the federation as an institution.

Faced with the challenges she faces, Thaina Luna responds: “I like to start from scratch, from the land that needs to be sown and cultivated. The situation in the country encourages creativity and, as things stand right now, it is time to make changes and leave aside the negative and promote the positive.”

Who is Thaina Luna?
Thaina Luna is a 37-year-old woman who lives in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela. She was an open water swimming athlete in her youth, where her passion for surfing was born. She defines herself as a businesswoman and event organizer, with studies in business administration and applied sciences in sports.

How did Thaina Luna begin her approach to surfing?
The new president of the FVS took her first steps in surfing by supporting the Venezuelan high-performance athlete Rossany “Panterita” Álvarez, whom she helped to arrange sponsorship with entities such as the National Sports Institute (IND) and the Venezuelan Olympic Committee (COV), to participate in international competitions. She then provided similar support to the also professional paddle surf athlete, Edimar Luque.

To gain this support, she began to get involved in the Venezuelan Olympic Committee. On one occasion, the vice president of that organization, faced with the work that Luna had taken on, said to her: “How sad that surfing is so deteriorated, why don’t you take over the state of Miranda and start organizing it?” These words resonated with the current president and thus she began her direct work in surfing.

His administration in the state of Miranda led to the establishment of three surf clubs, organizations that were non-existent, as well as the organization of surfers in the entity.

How did you become president of the FVS?
The elections of the Venezuelan Surfing Federation were supposed to take place in May 2017, however, the people in charge of the entity were unable to fulfill their mission. Faced with this situation, the high-performance athletes of Venezuelan surfing, led by the gold medalist in longboarding, Ronald Reyes, took the reins. “I received a call from the restoration commission of the federation created by the athletes, to work more directly in the reorganization of Venezuelan surfing,” said Luna.

Luna is inspired by the president of the Chilean Surf Federation, Paula Muñoz, “she is not a surfer, but her management is excellent. I understand that the federation is a company that requires management in multiple aspects and not just people who know how to surf.” Likewise, the president of the FVS is working hand in hand with Ahmed Pérez, who was a professional surfer and has great management skills, together with the other members of the Board of Directors, who are specialists in their areas.

Budget and plans of the new FVS
Thaina Luna begins her work as president of the federation without a budget. This situation is abnormal in other countries, since any company or organization depends on a budget to operate, however, currently in Venezuela, this situation is not so strange, although it is no less complex.

“We do not have a budget. Financial alliances are with public and private companies, as well as embassies, where we have already knocked on doors and all that was needed was the next step of winning the elections to be more concrete,” explains the president.

He also explained that the knocks on the embassies correspond to the plan to popularize surfing as a tourist sport. He assured that both the Olympic Committee and the National Institute of Sport are willing to work with the federation, “they were just waiting for surfing to be organized.”

Vision and Mission of the new FVS
Promote surfing in all areas of development such as sports training, comprehensive training of athletes, conservation awareness and the promotion of surfing as a tourist sport, in order to generate the greatest benefit for athletes and for the Venezuelan potential.

To be a well-structured organization, with a philosophy of brand projection and sustainable growth, which allows us to progress in an organized way, creating an unprecedented sports product in Venezuela and establishing the foundations for a professional career for our surfers.

What's next for the FVS?
The number one point in the federation's work plan is to develop surfing championships and the national league in all modalities of the sport. Together with the implementation of courses, education programs, training and explanation of the criteria of judges; all with the purpose of beginning the comprehensive preparation of the athletes.

The president also sees a cultural change in surfing. “Surfing is now an Olympic sport, it is a new era and the doors are open for everyone to join together to do a joint task. There are multiple areas of work and together it will be possible. My work begins with sowing seeds and, whatever the situation of the country is, I deeply believe in the mission I started,” concluded the new president.