Once again, the Surf Tournaments in El Salvador will bring attention to the excellent Salvadoran surfing spots, particularly Punta Roca, El Sunzal, and La Bocana.
The Surf City El Salvador project, launched by the government, aims to promote tourism through surfing—the initiative strengthens El Salvador’s reputation in the sport.
These top-notch surf competitions showcase world-class waves and position El Salvador as a premier surf destination.
The upcoming and final surf tournament in El Salvador for 2025 is the WSL Surf City El Salvador Longboard Championship, set for November 5-9 at El Sunzal Beach.
| Org | Event | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| WSL | Surf City El Salvador Longboard Championships | November 5-9 | El Sunzal Beach |
| ▼ Completed ▼ | |||
| ISA | World Surfing Games | September 5-14 | La Bocana and El Sunzal Beach |
| ISA | World Longboard Championship | Apr 25 to May 1 | El Sunzal Beach |
| WSL | Surf City El Salvador Pro | Apr 2-12 | Punta Roca Beach |
SEE ALSO: El Salvador Tourism: A Journey Through Pristine Beaches, Colorful Towns, and Enchanting Parks
WSL Surf City El Salvador Longboard Championship
The 2025 WSL Surf City El Salvador Longboard Championship is scheduled for November 5-9 at El Sunzal Beach, La Libertad.
This prestigious event will gather the world’s top longboard surfers to compete for the championship.
El Sunzal’s renowned right-hand point break offers ideal conditions for longboarding, featuring long, peeling waves that challenge competitors’ skills and endurance.
In the 2024 edition, held in October, California’s Rachael Tilly and Taylor Jensen clinched the women’s and men’s world titles, respectively.
Tilly secured her second world title, demonstrating exceptional performance against reigning champion Soleil Errico. Jensen earned his fourth world title, matching the legendary Nat Young’s record.
The upcoming 2025 championship promises to deliver high-caliber performances, further solidifying El Salvador’s reputation as a premier destination for international surfing competitions.
2025 Completed Surf Tournaments in El Salvador
ISA World Surfing Games
The 2025 ISA World Surfing Games (WSG), held in Surf City, El Salvador, concluded with Australia securing the coveted title of Team World Champion.
Peru earned second place overall, while Spain clinched third, marking a highly competitive and historic event in the world of surfing.
Dane Henry Leads Australia to Victory
Australia’s triumph was anchored by Dane Henry’s remarkable first-place finish in the men’s division. His performance, combined with bronze medals from teammates Morgan Cibilic and Sally Fitzgibbons, gave the Australians the edge to claim the team crown.
Henry’s victory was especially significant. At just 19 years old, he became the first man in the modern era to win the WSG as the reigning ISA World Junior Champion.
This rare achievement mirrors that of surfing legend Tom Curren, who accomplished the same feat in 1982.
Henry now joins a select group of surfers—including Gabriel Medina of Brazil and Jordy Smith of South Africa—who have earned gold at both the ISA World Junior Surfing Championship and the World Surfing Games.
Men’s Division Podium
- Gold: Dane Henry (AUS)
- Silver: Kauli Vaast (FRA)
- Bronze: Morgan Cibilic (AUS)
Women’s Division Highlights
The women’s division was dominated by Janire Gonzalez-Etxabarri of Spain, who achieved the biggest victory of her young career.
At 20, she not only captured the gold medal but also delivered Spain’s most historic WSG result to date.
Gonzalez-Etxabarri’s path to glory follows her Olympic qualification for Paris 2024, where she placed 15th in her WSG debut.
Her victory in El Salvador surpasses the bronze medal won in 2024 by teammate and fellow Olympian Nadia Erostarbe, cementing Spain’s growing reputation on the global surfing stage.
Women’s Division Podium
- Gold: Janire Gonzalez-Etxabarri (ESP)
- Silver: Yolanda Sequeira (POR)
- Bronze: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS)
Surf City, El Salvador: A Global Stage
Hosting the WSG for another year, Surf City reinforced its reputation as a world-class surfing destination. The event not only highlighted the rising stars of international surfing but also showcased El Salvador’s expanding role in global sporting culture.
ISA World Longboard Championship
France and the United States dominated the 2025 ISA World Longboard Championship, held at El Sunzal Beach as part of the Surf City El Salvador ISA World Longboard Championship from April 25 to May 1.
Surfers from both nations secured top honors, confirming their continued excellence and progress in competitive longboarding.
In the men’s event, France’s Edouard Delpero clinched victory with a score of 18.24, outperforming Brazil’s Rodrigo Sphaier, who earned 15.97 points.
“I’m happy to have won here in El Sunzal. I managed to catch some good waves and take advantage of them very well. It’s been an incredible week,” Delpero said, celebrating alongside his French teammates and coaches.
Filipino surfer Rogelio Esquivel placed third, and Japan’s Tanaka Inoue finished fourth.
Rachael Tilly of the United States captured the women’s title, scoring 15.13 to surpass defending champion Alice Le Moigne of France, who posted 14.66 points.
Tilly, who had won the 2024 WSL finals at El Sunzal, continued her strong form with her first ISA world championship win. She now joins a select group of surfers who have claimed both WSL and ISA titles.
France topped the standings at the team level, with the United States finishing second.
The Philippines secured third place, followed by Brazil in fourth and Japan in fifth. Among Latin American teams, Peru placed seventh, Uruguay ninth, and host nation El Salvador finished 21st with 1,170 points.
WSL Surf City El Salvador Pro
The 2025 Surf City El Salvador Pro concluded with remarkable victories in both the men’s and women’s divisions, marking significant milestones for the champions.
In the men’s division, South African veteran Jordy Smith clinched his first World Championship Tour win in eight years.
The 37-year-old surfer delivered a commanding performance at Punta Roca, achieving a heat total of 14.26 out of 20, with impressive wave scores of 7.33 and 6.93.
Smith dedicated his victory to his father, who shapes his surfboards, and his wife, expressing heartfelt gratitude after being carried up the rocks by supporters.
On the women’s side, Hawaiian surfer Gabriela Bryan secured her second career Championship Tour win by defeating Australia’s Isabella Nichols.
Despite early setbacks, including a damaged board, Bryan rebounded with a powerful 7.83 ride after switching to her backup board.
This victory propelled her to second place in the world rankings, showcasing her resilience and determination.
With four events of the 11-stop tour now complete, the surfers head to Australia for three events before the number of competitors is cut by a third.
The season will culminate in a final showdown in Fiji, where the top five surfers will compete for the title.
2024 Completed Surf Tournaments
ALAS Surf City Pro Tour
The 2024 Surf City El Salvador ALAS Pro Tour wrapped up as the final major surfing event in the country for the year. Here are the winners from each division.
Under 14 Division
In the Under 14 divisions, Peru dominated with impressive performances. In the Women’s category, Brianna Barthelmess claimed first place and Sofía Artieda secured second, highlighting Peru’s strong young talent.
In the Men’s division, Peru’s Lorenzo de Osma took first, while Brazil’s Nicolas Oliveira earned second.
Under 18 Division
In the Women’s Under 18 division, Peru’s Sofía Artieda claimed an impressive first-place victory, with Costa Rica’s Rachel Agüero taking second.
Meanwhile, in the Men’s Under 18 division, Costa Rican Tomas Pathenay Olivari earned the top spot, followed by Argentina’s Thiago Passeri in second.
Longboard Division
In the longboard divisions, exceptional talent was on display. In the Women’s category, Brazil’s Atalanta Batista claimed first place, with Costa Rica’s Lia Díaz securing second.
In the Men’s division, Mexico’s Jonathan Melendres took the top spot, followed by the United States’ Tony Silvagni in second, highlighting the diversity and skill in international longboarding.
Open Division
In the open divisions, top surfers delivered thrilling performances. In the Women’s category, Peru’s Brianna Barthelmess secured first place, while the United States’ Kirra Pinkerton claimed second.
In the Men’s division, Costa Rica’s Ethan Hollander emerged victorious, with Peru’s Gabriel Vargas earning a strong second place, showcasing exceptional talent across nations.
ISA World Masters Surfing Championship
The ISA World Masters Surfing Championship ended at the well-known El Sunzal beach in El Salvador, with Brazil securing first place in the team competition, followed by Hawaii in second and Australia taking third.
Women’s Divisions
In the Masters Women’s 40+ division, Hawaiian Melanie Bartels took first place, while Australian Serena Brooke finished second.
Hawaiian Rochelle Ballard secured first in the Grand Masters Women’s 50+ division, with South Africa’s Heather Clark placing second.
Finally, in the Kahunas Women’s 60+ division, Becky Benson from Hawaii claimed first place, followed by Brazil’s Roberta Borges in second.
Men’s Divisions
Brazilian Diego Rosa claimed first place in the Masters Men’s 40+ division, with Costa Rican Gilbert Brown finishing second.
In the Grand Masters Men’s 50+ division, Australian Scott Schindler took the top spot, while Brazilian Jojó de Olivença came in second.
Lastly, in the Kahunas Men’s 60+ division, France’s Eric Graciet captured first place, with Australian Rodney Baldwin securing second.
WSL Surf City El Salvador Longboard Championship
The Surf City El Salvador Longboard Championship concluded with Rachael Tilly of the United States securing the victory in the women’s division. At the same time, Taylor Jensen, also from the United States, claimed first place in the men’s division.
Almost 10 years after winning his first title in China, California’s Rachael Tilly was crowned world champion after defeating her fellow American surfer, Soleil Errico, at El Sunzal Beach.
In the men’s division, Taylor Jensen claimed his fourth world title by defeating Hawaiian surfer Kai Sallas. Jensen secured first place in the rankings, becoming world champion and tying the record of four world titles set by his father-in-law, Nat Young, in 1990.
World Surf League Surf City El Salvador Pro
The 2024 World Surf League (WSL) Surf City El Salvador Pro competition just concluded with Hawaiian John John Florence’s taking first place in the men’s division.
Hawaiian surfer Florence, currently ranked World No. 1, defeated Brazilian Yago Dora, solidifying his place in the WSL Finals to compete for a third World Title.
Surfer Caroline Marks, representing the United States, took first place in the women’s division, earning back-to-back wins at the Punta Roca surf competition.
The now back-to-back champion defeated Hawaiian surfer Gabriela Bryan at the iconic cobblestone point break of Punta Roca, securing a spot in the finals to compete for the world title and defend her crown.
ISA World Junior Surfing Championship
The 2024 ISA World Junior Surfing Championship Surf City El Salvador concluded with Australia taking first place in the team competition. Hawaii ended in Second place, and France in Third.
Australian Dane Henry clinched first place in the under-18 boy’s division, while his compatriot Fletcher Kelleher secured second, and Brazil’s Rickson Falcão took third.
Spanish surfer Dylan Donegan won first place in the under-16 boy’s division, followed by England’s Lukas Skinner in second and Argentina’s Thiago Passeri in third.
In the girl’s under-18 division, Vaihiti Inso from Hawaii took first place, with Tya Zebrowski of France in second and Sara Freyre from the USA in third.
In the girl’s under-16 division, Ziggy Mackenzie from Australia secured first place. Clémence Schorsch from France earned second place, and Louise Le Pront from South Africa finished third.
ISA World Longboard Championship
The Surf City El Salvador ISA World Longboard Championship concluded with Hawaiian surfers dominating the competition. Hawaii secured a complete victory in the men’s and women’s divisions.
Hawaiian’s Honolua Blomfield and Kai Sallas claimed the women’s and men’s gold medals respectively, which earned Hawaii the team gold medal as well.
In the women’s division, gold went to Hawaiian Honolua Blomfield, silver to Rachael Tilly from the USA, and bronze to Natsumi Taoka from Japan.
Kai Sallas from Hawaii won the gold, Silver went to Taka Inoue from Japan, and Rodrigo Sphaier from Brazil got the silver.
The triumph of Honolua Blomfield and Kai Sallas in their respective divisions secured gold for Hawaii in the team competition. Japan earned the silver medal, while France took home the bronze.
The surf tournaments in El Salvador are held at some of the best surf spots in El Salvador and Central America, such as Punta Roca, El Sunzal, La Bocana, Las Flores, and El Zonte. These beaches are part of the Surf City El Salvador project and are some of the best beaches in El Salvador.
