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Saipan Flipper Race attracts jiji.com
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Posted on Jun 16 2011
Staff from the website of one of Japan’s leading news wire agencies arrived in the CNMI yesterday to cover this Saturday’s 3rd Annual Saipan International Open Water Flipper Race Tournament.
Jiji.com will feature the race and other local tourism attractions in early July at the start of the summer travel season in Japan. The website receives about 116-million page views each month, and coverage of the Northern Marianas is valued at an estimated $28,000.
Over 30 participants from Japan have traveled to Saipan this week for the event, sponsored by the Marianas Visitors Authority and supported by the Community Sports Center Foundation of Japan.
The tournament will allow participants to circumnavigate the 1.5-kilometer island at a leisure pace using masks, snorkels, flippers, and life jackets. Wetsuits are mandatory.
Jiji supplies newspapers and television broadcasters across Japan with the latest news on a wide range of topics and specialized industries, making it popular with business people. While on Saipan, the shooting crew will also visit the Garapan Street Market, a barbeque dinner show at Fiesta Resort & Spa, and scenic sites such as flame trees in bloom. They will also cover Mandi Asia Spa and Mariana Resort, where they are staying during their FAM(iliarization) tour.
The race cost is $25 for Northern Marianas residents with I.D. The deadline to register with the MVA is today, June 17, 2011, from 4:30pm to 5:30pm during the mandatory orientation at the American Memorial Park Amphitheater in Garapan.
Ferries depart promptly at 4:45am the morning of the race, carrying participants and officials to Managaha. The race starts at 6:30am, with an island-style breakfast and awards ceremony at 9am on the white sand beaches of Managaha.
There will be several age divisions: 19-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, and 60-and-up. Those age 18-and-under will be entered in the Junior Division.[I] (MVA)[/I]
