Latest news from the ISA World longboard titles

Apr 28, 2025

14-year-old Mara Lopez (PHI) earns highest women’s numbers in event debut, Philippines teammate Rogelio Esquievel Jr. (PHI) tops men’s scores

Brazil, France, Japan, Philippines, and Uruguay retain full teams intact in Main Round

Englands Ben Skinner is through to round three.

Surf City El Salvador – April 27th, 2025

Solid four-to-six-foot waves, with marching eight-foot sets, poured into El Sunzal for day three of the Surf City El Salvador ISA World Longboard Championship (WLC). The morning began with powerful, long-period swell providing large open faces for the world’s best longboarders to draw clean lines in showcasing their skills on the nose and rail. The final four heats of women’s Main Round 1 were completed, along with men’s and women’s Main Round 2.

Team Philippines had a great day of competition, kicked off by Mara Lopez (PHI) with a 15.43 two-wave total, the highest of the day for the women, collected in the very first heat. In her WLC debut, the 14-year-old committed to long, critical nose-rides on waves at least three-times over her head. Lopez’s style and poise in the powerful swell was notable and was rewarded accordingly.

Meanwhile, a hyper-critical, extended hang-ten from Rogelio Esquievel Jr (PHI) received one of the highest scores of the event, an 8.83. Combined with a 7.50, the 2023 Copper Medalist posted an excellent 16.33 heat total, the highest of the day for the men.

“I already had two 7’s, so I decided to push more and to try to get some excellent,” Esquievel Jr. said. “It came out an 8.83, so I’m so happy. [I’m going to] stay focused, watch some heats, and learn about the scoring, and watch the waves, where the sets [come] and which one is the best. And yeah, just have fun with the team and support the next few heats.”

Daisy Valdez (PHI) and Crisanto Villanueva (PHI) also progressed in their heats, to keep the entire four-person Philippines team intact in the Main Round. France, Brazil, Japan, and Uruguay remain the only other nations to move forward with full teams, giving all five nations a distinct advantage in the hunt for the team gold medal.

Many of the top numbers for women’s Main Round 2 went to the four former medalists in the draw, Maria Fernanda Reyes (PER), Alice Le Moigne (FRA), Natsumi Taoka (JPN), and Rachael Tilly (USA). Taoka claimed the highest heat total, 14.16, Le Moigne the highest single wave score, 7.83.

A handful of surfers breached their dominance, including Tully White (AUS), Hiroka Yoshikawa (JPN), Luana Soares (BRA) and Lia Diaz (CRC). Diaz was having fun in the chaotic afternoon conditions, finding opportunities for clean footwork and committed nose-rides on her way to collecting a 13.00 heat total.

“The waves are really fun, so I just had a blast,” Diaz said. “I was just going out there and trying to have fun and be relaxed. It looks so tricky, but if you actually time it right you can have a blast.”

Multiple hang-tens tight in the pocket provided Jefson Silva (BRA) with a 15.66 heat total that included the day’s first excellent score, an 8.33. Silva took the win in a hotly contested heat that saw Lucas Garrido Lecca (PER) also progress ahead of Dongkyun Kim (KOR) and David Schiaffino (CAN).

“I’m very happy and so stoked to be in the next round and to make a good score in my heat,” Silva said. “When I listened to the first score, 8.33, I thought to myself, ‘Okay, let’s go, now I have to get another one.’ When the waves come, I just want to improve myself and do something good, make some turns and fives and tens. I’m here to help my country, to represent my country, all the team, we are together and super strong.”

Silva and Rodrigo Sphaier (BRA) were teammates in 2010, when Sphaier claimed the gold medal. Sphaier also advanced today, but in second place behind Edouard Delpero (FRA), who earned the highest single wave score for the second day in a row, a 9.00. The pair defeated local Salvadoran Amado Alvarado (ESA) and Francisco Freitas (POR), who were relegated to the repechage.

Rafael Cortez (CHI), Dorian Torres (CRC), Johnny Van Hohenstein (HAW), and Roland Lefeuvre (FRA) also mastered the conditions to earn heat wins with solid scores.