El Salvador Pro 2025: Day 1.1
El Salvador Pro 2025: Day 1.1
What can you say about the opening day and a bit of competition at Punta Roca, El Salvador? They managed to get through an opening round of men's heats and one heat of women in glassy, inconsistent, insipid surf before a nagging onshore wind turned it into mashed potato.
The whole premise of El Salvador looks increasingly shakey. Having a cool dictator lock up all the crims and then try and leverage bitcoin and surfing to build an economy might be a good short term play, but as we are seeing post-Liberation Day those assets can be blown away like dust in the wind by historical forces. The COVID laptop class that El Salvador courted are now furiously blogging from Indo about all the great B-grade waves in Lombok.
From a World Tour perspective, having a B-grade, sectiony pointbreak which Jordy Smith recently described to STAB as being full of "dead water” that creates mistimed sections (“if you get there late, it’s shit, and if you get there early, it’s shit”) is not a catastrophe. Having a wave that even pros struggle to really look good on is a fair way of sorting sheep from goats. The bigger issue is a venue where prevailing winds blow it out by 10am each day. Like Portgual's big push to have the Supertubos event turbo-charge surf tourism you have to wonder, not just whether they get a return on the investment, but whether it actively works against surf tourism.
Why would you go to stormy, cold Portugese closeouts or blown out sectiony Punta Roca when every second surf influencer is putting up vlogs of dreamy Indo lineups? It makes as much sense as investing in pro surfers who go from the CT to invisible bush league CS without a murmur. One gets the feeling, exacerbated by current world events, that so much of the structure underpinning the pro surfing enterprise is very, very unstable. Even with a billionaire behind it.
Jordy (WSL/Hughes)
Four heats were run yesterday before onshores and low tide called it off. The remaining eight heats of Round 1 were completed in glassy, then light onshore conditions followed by one heat of womens Round 1 before they went on hold for a few hours. The remaining five heats of womens Round 1 were knocked off in dreary, onshore crumblers, that probably would have been fun for a tech bro on a mid-length.
It was slow and inconsistent. How inconsistent..? Wildcard Levi Slawson was only able to log a single ride in his Round 1 heat with Ethan Ewing and Marco Mignot. Others were likewise marooned waiting for waves that refused to show - including Sawyer Lindblad in the final heat of the day. Crosby Colapinto escaped with a last minute get out of jail 1.87 after bagging a 7.17 to send Liam O'Brien to the Elimination Round for the third time this season. Hard to see what LOB is doing wrong. He's ripping the bag out of it, but just seems to be on the wrong side of some super tight heats. If anything, it may be a question of showing more in-heat aggression. There were two good waves in that heat. Leo got one and Crosby got the other. LOB has to ensure, somehow, that he's the guy getting the best wave of the heat. Scraps won't do the job.
Miguel (WSL/Hughes)
The premium wave quality of the morning heats allowed for greater spread in scoring as those prepared to utilise skill sets at maximum output rose to the top. Brazilians, mostly, with Griff Colapinto and Leo Fioravanti close behind.
It was interesting to read the incredibly detailed pre-event judging criteria and use that as a lens with which to view top contenders. Particularly comparing current world No. 1 Italo Ferreira and No. 3 Ethan Ewing.
Bullet points under the heading flow stated:
- Maintain speed and power throughout combinations and transitions without disruptions or control issues.
- Loss of control or excessive recovery time after maneuvers will negatively impact scores.
Ewing's first wave, featuring the kind of searing carves that judges have gone gaga over in the last 24 months featured a tiny bobble as his board caught a little whitewater. The loss of control and disruption was minor. Commentators were frothing and it looked for sure like excellent surfing.
Judges took the tiny bobble and wiped off 2 points for a straight 6.
Conversely the screed on the criteria specifically singled out airs and how they would be scored mentioning:
- Critical Section: Where the air is launched.
- Height and Projection: Amplitude and distance covered.
- Technicality: Grabs, inversions, and rotations.
- Execution: Speed, flow, and controlled landings.
Italo banged every one of those bullet points in his heat with George Pittar (who he patronisingly dismissed as the “other guy”) and Bryan Perez. If judges are going to pay airs again then who can beat a guy prepared to go big multiple times a heat? Who'll keep pushing himself to the edge of injury every wave?
Italo (WSL/Hughes)
Italo took the small surge created when swells lift over Mama Roca and used it as a launch ramp for a huge corked rotation and then surfed on as if nothing had happened. How is Ewing going to combat that? What happens when you do what you have always done and the criteria shifts underneath your feet?
Open questions, btw, they could just as easily shift it back whenever they feel like it, including within a heat. This is a sport that steadfastly stands by the rules it makes up on the spot. No correspondence will be entered into.
Italo, Griff, Dora, Jack Robbo, and Filipe Toledo are the guys with the greatest breadth of repertoire - including big airs.
Griff was superb in his heat with Cole Houshmand and Matty McGillivray. Silky execution on waves that could have, probably should have, broached the excellent mark. Gone was the goofy grin and the funky little dance moves. This is a guy who no doubt has 'World Champion' scribbled in his journal for the yearly goals and who finds himself down the arse end of the ratings with the Aussie leg and the dreaded cut steam-training through a dark tunnel towards him. It was beyond tradesman-like, more like a super tight band in full flight, hitting every note perfectly.
Griffin (WSL/Hughes)
It came hot on the heels of Toledo's masterclass in the heat prior. The judging, to my eye, was consistent. The scale was set low. Getting excellent was achieved on only three occasions and Toledo's opener was one of them. He was unimpressed by his day high total of 15.77, feeling he had been short-changed by the panel. Through clenched teeth he explained to Rosy on the glass he thought his following two rides were superior to his opening 8. “I don't know what else I have to do," he fumed.
Filipe (WSL/Hughes)
It was a strange flex, perhaps a compensation for all the criticism he has received for his underwhelming showings at Pipe and Teahupoo, including in the Olympics. It didn't seem pertinent to the day at hand. He closed off by saying, “I did what I had to do and said what I had to say."
Taken at face value, yeah, he could have had a minor point. Both rides were insane and may have been 8's. But in the context of the heat where he smashed his opponents it seemed an unnecessary display of petulance.
Filipe (WSL/Hughes)
Shaper Matt Biolos came on as the women hit the wind-shredded lineup and paid Surf City the ultimate back-handed compliment, proclaiming the waves “suit an average schmuck like me." He said his days of movie-making were behind him and that he preferred “young guys to do the noise making." Be careful there, brother, those young guys can be into some very unsavoury characters these days. Especially if they get red-pilled into nasty manosphere rabbit holes. The mask the WSL lays over everything may be nauseating, but it's probably preferable to pulling the curtain back when it comes to, well, quite a few things. Including what young guys are into.
Tyler Wright looked strong. Showed up on the glass with pride rainbow flag proudly displayed on jersey and long boardies. As did Caity Simmers, who suffered from the general dross offered wave-wise but still managed to make it look fun.
Tyler (WSL/Hughes)
The highlight of the womens round came in the concluding moments of the final heat. Sawyer Lindblad had surfed the highest wave of the heat early and then got marooned out the back waiting for another one. At the end, Erin Brooks hunted her down like an orca ready to beach itself for a seal and displayed a ferocity that belied the sweetness and God fearin' image she projects. This is a girl who wants to win. Very badly. She kept Sawyer off any waves and moves through to the Round of 16. A small reward for the less than 5,000 people watching live and influencers chilling in the stands, post laptop work, and with beers in hand.
//STEVE SHEARER
Surf City El Salvador Pro Women’s Opening Round Results:
HEAT 1: Molly Picklum (AUS) 9.83 DEF. Bella Kenworthy (USA) 9.26, Nadia Erostarbe (ESP) 9.17
HEAT 2: Lakey Peterson (USA) 12.17 DEF. Caroline Marks (USA) 9.43, Alyssa Spencer (USA) 8.53
HEAT 3: Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW) 10.76 DEF. Caitlin Simmers (USA) 9.73, Kirra Pinkerton (USA) 6.50
HEAT 4: Gabriela Bryan (HAW) 12.90 DEF. Vahine Fierro (FRA) 9.74, Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 4.23
HEAT 5: Tyler Wright (AUS) 9.37 DEF. Brisa Hennessy (CRC) 9.10, Luana Silva (BRA) 8.44
HEAT 6: Isabella Nichols (AUS) 10.33 DEF. Erin Brooks (CAN) 8.90, Sawyer Lindblad (USA) 8.47
Surf City El Salvador Pro Women’s Elimination Round Matchups:
HEAT 1: Sawyer Lindblad (USA) vs. Nadia Erostarbe (ESP) vs. Kirra Pinkerton (USA)
HEAT 2: Luana Silva (BRA) vs. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) vs. Alyssa Spencer (USA)
Surf City El Salvador Pro Men’s Opening Round Results:
HEAT 1: Connor O'Leary (JPN) 11.50 DEF. Rio Waida (INA) 11.43, Alejo Muniz (BRA) 8.94
HEAT 2: Joao Chianca (BRA) 9.40 DEF. Jack Robinson (AUS) 9.17, Edgard Groggia (BRA) 8.90
HEAT 3: Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR) 13.77 DEF. Barron Mamiya (HAW) 10.33, Samuel Pupo (BRA) 9.23
HEAT 4: Jackson Bunch (HAW) 12.16 DEF. Yago Dora (BRA) 10.26, Ian Gentil (HAW) 9.34
HEAT 5: Ethan Ewing (AUS) 11.50 DEF. Marco Mignot (FRA) 10.84, Levi Slawson (USA) 4.83
HEAT 6: Italo Ferreira (BRA) 14.67 DEF. George Pittar (AUS) 14.17, Bryan Perez (SLV) 8.80
HEAT 7: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 15.77 DEF. Ian Gouveia (BRA) 10.90, Alan Cleland (MEX) 10.34
HEAT 8: Griffin Colapinto (USA) 14.87 DEF. Matthew McGillivray (RSA) 13.10, Cole Houshmand (USA) 9.33
HEAT 9: Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) 13.60 DEF. Seth Moniz (HAW) 8.87, Imaikalani deVault (HAW) 7.80
HEAT 10: Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) 12.50 DEF. Crosby Colapinto (USA) 9.04, Liam O'Brien (AUS) 8.77
HEAT 11: Jordy Smith (RSA) 12.87 DEF. Joel Vaughan (AUS) 9.40, Ryan Callinan (AUS) 4.67
HEAT 12: Jake Marshall (USA) 12.16 DEF. Deivid Silva (BRA) 9.56, Miguel Pupo (BRA) 9.20
Surf City El Salvador Pro Men’s Elimination Round Matchups:
HEAT 1: Miguel Pupo (BRA) vs. Edgard Groggia (BRA) vs. Bryan Perez (SLV)
HEAT 2: Liam O'Brien (AUS) vs. Alejo Muniz (BRA) vs. Levi Slawson (USA)
HEAT 3: Cole Houshmand (USA) vs. Alan Cleland (MEX) vs. Ian Gentil (HAW)
HEAT 4: Ryan Callinan (AUS) vs. Imaikalani deVault (HAW) vs. Samuel Pupo (BRA)
Comments
Nice write up Steve- glad I didn't tune in
Looking forward to you pulling back the curtains on those nasty manosphere rabbit holes withing the WSL
Did a bit of digging
https://beachgrit.com/2025/03/young-world-surf-league-stars-in-deserved-...
oh wow
El Sal has some sick waves, why dont they hold it somewhere else, i feel like nearby tunco at sunzal beach is much better. Flores further south is a better wave and mango for sure is (but getting infrastructure there would be a nightmare).
They could wrap up the comp in three days, surfing only glass in the morning if they were mobile. As you head west from Punta Roca, it gets bigger. It's the only place I've been other than Bali where I reckon you could surf a good wave 98% of the days of the entire year. Punta Roca swells start next month haha
Even if they just surfed the river mouth in Tunco as an alternate they could wrap it up real quick. They had the ISA games there so it's not that hard to do.
Yeah not sure about tunco but from when I was there punta roca was by far the best performance wave. But if the pros are whinging then whom am I to quibble? Seemed much higher performance than trestles rights to me. The rocks sucked getting in though
They should make it mobile...to another country that has good waves!!.....the whole Sth American leg is one shit onshore rip bowl closeout after another.....Works well for the Brazzo air spinners but as a spectacle it fails to deliver...The Brazilian mafia must have photo's of the head of the WSL jerking off to pics of Gina Rinehart.....why else would he persist in running the embarrassing comps in Sth America and the sport of competitive surfing into the ground??
South America isn't all bad. They should take the comp to Arica.
They already did, surfers took asp to court
Or asp didn't get paid by local sponsors.
The first wave of the contest was hectic
2007 search .
Where Andy Irons won and was coked up the whole time, every heat. Different era!
Not sure about your geography because South America starts at Colombia. You mean Central America?
If you don't think there's good waves from Mexico south......god bless you.
I used to travel there a fair bit way back in the day. Unless there's some part of Sunzal we missed at the time, Punta Roca is a superior wave. Sunzal could hold size for sure, but it was more of a slopey, big drawn out turns and cut backs type of wave.
And yes, Punta Roca typically is blown out by midmorning, so a tough place to hold a contest. And Mama Roca is no joke. Ate it right there and took it square on the lower lumbar. Now that I say that, I also had a near drowning then near impalement on those rocks that stick out at Sunzal as I paddled in on the half board I had left.
So yeah, took a few beatings in El Salvador lol
I'd give Bukele the benefit of the doubt, he's done a shit load of good and the people love him. The first time I went through El Salvador as a backpacker, it was the only place I've heard heaps of automatic gunfire other than a warzone. Last time I went and lived there with my family, went all around the country and NEVER felt unsafe. In Ecuador I got chased by a homeless man with anger in his eyes. In Argentina someone was robbed at gunpoint in our apartment block!! So, it's a worthy achievement, not to mention the gang issue that he fixed was imported from the USA.
Interestingly there aren't any 'digital nomads' there, as least when I was there, they're in Mexico. Better internet, better food, more conveniences in Mexico. The people that are there are Bitcoin true believers! They'll tell you deadpan that El Salvador is the next Singapore! There's a lot of them there too!
You forgot to mention Costa Rica that has a shit load of yanks which has pushed prices through the roof.
spots had gringos for eons , plenty of Canadians also
Thanks Steve for more of your clear and unique insights. Always look forward to your write-ups. With regards Filipe having a few words about the judges, as a former professional judge myself, I am glad he vented. If those judges can't see how his third highest scoring wave was better than his first excellent scored eight, well, they shouldn't be on the panel. I am glad Filipe gave them a spray. He was a voice not just for himself, but other surfers who also got badly underscored on certain waves that day. How some very good rides, bordering near excellent, by surfers like Jackson Bunch, Rio Waida and Liam O'Brien only scored just one point more than very average rides by others in their same heats was maddening. Yes, we know it's a subjective judging criteria, blah, blah, blah. But it is very frustrating as a spectator seeing very good to excellent rides being underscored, even if the judges mostly get the right results. I can only imagine how frustrating it must be for the competitors. The judges need to make more use of the 7 to 9 point range. Yeah sure, use the 9 to 10 point range only for those truly outstanding rides. But judges shouldn't be constrained or afraid to properly reward very good rides accordingly too. Doing so would make the results easier to discern.
@ seahound, did you judge surfing ?
Yes LD, I judged numerous pro surfing comps, late 70s and 80s, transitioning from the more challenging judging era of six person heats, with no video replays, to professionally more intense, two person heats, with video replays. A few different formats were used between those two eras. Interesting times they were, like the changes in board designs then too.
Cool,
What a time, I've been surfing since the early 80s
Watching contests in many ways since . Live online , with a tent over me or in a judging tower.......
You appreciate and know well then. Cheers.
"At the end, Erin Brooks hunted [Sawyer] down like an orca ready to beach itself for a seal ..." Priceless.
Being unwell in bed I bothered to watch some of the replays.
It's certainly wasn't epic or conducive for high performance surfing, but I didn't find it as bad as you make out. Glassy, a bit of drama and a few good rides.
Re the manosphere, totally agree. As a member of a minority group that tends to be on their sights, it's moved far past dismay and well into concern for me.
RCal with the lowest heat score of the day, needs to get out of his elimination round heat & run deep into the contest to avoid the cut! Watched some highlights & thought George Pittar surfed unreal in his heat with Italo.
Rcal had a shocker
Bailed one on the takeoff
"Too much weights, not enough speed work".
Yeah, made up for it his elimination round. I like his backhand, sweet timing on his first wave, good to see him get through.
This intro kind of reflects where surfing’s at generally.
Surfing’s kinda done. It was great in a particular era when amazing waves were being discovered and everyone had time on their hands and could find empty perfection but now that time is almost over.
Sure you can still grovel around and chase great beach break days and of you’ve got the cash you can visit perfect waves but its not what it was between the 60s and 2000s.
Finding perfection or empty frequently involves a much bigger sacrifice.
Sorry, I’m just peeved there has been nothing for too long where I am.
Never mind the Manosphere. ‘Surf influencer’. That is a profoundly bleak concept. Y2K38 can’t come quickly enough. Pray that it turns out to be a metastasising incurable virus rather than a mere bug. That it blows the whole toxic cesspit away. Let it nuke the laptop class. And crypto. There are some that say that society may yet survive even if Y2K38 were to take out that one single towering transformative and innovative socioeconomic benefit digital globalisation has given us - Doordash.
Liberation Day is cause for optimism, but as we’re gonna be stuck in the pre Y2K38 dystopia for a while longer yet, before we return to insular analogue nirvana - Woz, for Elon’s sake, doge these inefficient waste of time nothing at stake rounds. Any content creator worth their salt knows that if you want drama, if you want to entertain people, there needs to be something at stake. Something to be gained, something to be lost. So of course the Woz goes and removes the stakes. What’s the point? Hour upon tedious hour of it, all for nothing. Raise the bloody stakes Woz!
Re: the stakes. Whatever the faults of the WSL, they are comps that the competitors seem to desperately want to win.
Is your point more drama? Not sure where the Y2K38 comes into it was from the outer reaches of the universe I thought.
Damn , now I’m going to have to
Google Y2K38 , and then give my intellectual opinion of it, or not.
I see , it’s definitely going to create problems for the all important 2038 WSL world tour,
Hopefully Kelly will sort it out for us.
Elon would totally axe the Woz out the door,
He doesn’t surf and he needs the money for his trip to Mars .
Y2K38? That's if we make it that far, given the failing magnetic field and probability of a solar kill-shot. Electronics go bye bye and influencers will be posting up their latest news on paper on the billboard at the local IGA. Which won't have food in it.
Worthy words Steve, thanks.
Roker, Its a lifestyle & sorta sport.....
Steak, veggies and mashed potatoes raised a working mostly middle class nation.
Why support the billionaires AI bushshit stories..? No need to recycle trash, compost the crap & grow...
Many now are working slaves (wokes) for the rich, building roads, rail, hospitals, schools, homes, tech, digging dirt, paying taxes, etc while some are in a fashionista, monopoly game, where they get out of jail free.
Woke up dude, the world needs your energy to help save the planet.... rant on or create a better place to live.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woke
or are we Bogong moths to the flame, lost in translation?
https://www.joshdykgraaf.com/bugung
P.S. Great surf if you can find it this week...
Yep, if Biolos is happy for one of his stars to make noise hanging out with Andrew Tate and being, you know, a "G", then he may want to rethink that.
Lost
https://lostsurfboards.net/meet-your-shaper-matt-biolos/
Caity rode a sick little wave for a 5.40. Her surfing is so more progressive than Betty Lou but I guess Betty Lou caught the larger waves.
.
I've only been there since the current president has been in power so can't speak to the past but every local I talked to rated him and how much the crime rate had improved. Felt totally safe the whole time apart from some fiery locals out at la boccana having a crack at some muppet tourists
Tyler has taken me back to my last years of high school with those boardies circa 2000/1. Do they make them in a 31”? Cheers for the write up Steve. I won’t be watching until they all make it down under for Easter bells.
High performance is finding a way, practice your skills & take responsibility or be lost
Stars are born and collapse under their only gravity, to become a "black hole" attracting....?
Versus
Beato made it to the comments ,classic !
Shirley, a truly nice human
Death, taxes and Toledo complaining about the judging when the surfs 3 foot.
Take it to the bank.
Cheers for the wrap FR.
Beautifully said. Whereis toledo when the waves are cranking and hollow. Doesn't say much then just runs away and takes a year off.
Throwing proverbial muffins at the tower ......
That’s why they have a world tour, instead of a cranking , hollow wave tour ,
There’s still a skill level to surfing small mushy waves even if they’re not as exciting. for viewers .
I'm a fan of the current tour actually
Loved the dream tour
90s tour ...
80s tour heck yeah!
... was a billionaire but was liberated
Cole Houshmand is an absolute bellend for posting that picture.
Would be very interesting to get some behind the scenes insight into the vibes in and around the locker room, especially from the women.
They shouldn't hide any of this stuff, call it out for what it is. If you have the audacity to promote a program called Rising Tides that encourages women's surfing and confidence, but don't have the balls to discipline or call out one of the male athletes for promoting bigotry and extreme misogyny then your whole branding model is worthless.
It’s all just corpo culture washing, doubt they had any internal issues whatsoever abandoning their supposedly woke values for petrochemical dollars.
Just how Tesla in 2016 was promoting how they were the most inclusive company operating in North America. They follow the money and the money is okay with misogyny right now apparently.
Someone needs to slap some sense into those privileged, uneducated home school groms and it’s not going to be the WSL. They have a platform and influence and the next generation of kids look up to them.
"Jordy Smith recently described to STAB as being full of "dead water” that creates mistimed sections (“if you get there late, it’s shit, and if you get there early, it’s shit”) is"
Dead water, never heard that phrase before, but it describes the waves where i live, there is so much dead water, when i go elsewhere like even the east coast or Indo there is rarely the same dead water.
haha, I agree, great description, we all have those places that we have a tenuous relationship with.
Is dead water a euphemism for pollution?
Sally fitz eliminated back to the shed
“This is a sport that steadfastly stands by the rules it makes up on the spot.”
Perfect
least interesting wave so far. small, inconsistent, constant pumping down the line...
i think the size/power is the issue. if J-Bay was this size it would suck equally.
needs to be at least head height without that sideshore chop.
i felt like some of the goofies (Connor & Ramzi) got a little overscored for what were just hefty bottom turn vertical hack combos... dunno. don't get me wrong, two of my favourites in anything but 3ft gutless rights. they were throwing buckets.. but seemed repetitive.
when will Italo meet Felipe? these two seem unstoppable if the surf stays like this. not even Yago or Griff unless it's a three wave heat.
I agree with the overscoring of the goofies very repetitive. Some air would change that repetitiveness.
Mi dos centavos.
Hate the events on at night our time. The dulcet tone of Joe keeps putting me to sleep.
Sick heat, blow for blow, very close. Billy was underscored on his final scoring wave. Fil did some amazing turns including on non-scoring waves but Billy was also no slouch on rail.
Yawn
Does anyone even care about the world tour anymore? What was once a simple clean premise has been convoluted by mid year cuts, top 5s, and ever changing judging criteria.
Sometimes simplicity is the most appealing approach.
Yep, it's all gimmicks pulled from other sports to try to pull in that mystical non surfing market that will never give a fuck.
Just don't put em in waves under 6foot. And make em surf everything that is above that. Problem solved forever. Might even get a few non surfers watching.
Just like when the clubbies get pounded when its 8foot. I'll watch that!
Really not interested in gymnastics on a wave. Has nothing to do with my surfing experience.
their priorities are clear, WSL has put the lion's share into the old Texas NLand wavegarden, about to re-open as a Kelly Pool. "Every Air's Bigger in Texas" bumperstickers.
(the good news about that I guess, is $1AUD is about to buy $27USD, so any Aussies doing Route 66, will be able to afford a long diversion from the Panhandle and spend a couple of weeks 5-star surfing in Austin.. good rock n roll town).
Man, Flippy has an ego! Imagine the balls it takes to call out the judges surfing ability when you consistently fail to send it. I don't know all the judges, but I'll bet quite a few aren't scared to go when it's over 6 foot...