Perfect waves between 4 and 6 feet created the ideal setting last Tuesday (23) for the ISA World Longboard Championship 2024, in El Sunzal, El Salvador. The conclusion of Round 3 of the men’s and women’s main event took place, in addition to Rounds 2 and 3 of the women’s repechage and Rounds 3 and 4 of the men’s repechage.
Four teams share the lead in the rankings, each with four surfers still in contention. Brazil, France and the Philippines are tied with Japan, which has a slight advantage as the only country with all four of its surfers in the main event. All teams have 3720 points. Click here and check the complete ranking by teams.
Brazil continues with its four athletes in the competition, however, Atalanta Batista and Luana Soares fell to the repechage, but still have a chance in the tournament. Both compete in Repechage 4, which is still under development. So far Atalanta is dueling against Italian Ginger Caimi and Luana is facing North American Kaitlin Mikkelsen.
In the men’s category, Rodrigo Sphaier and Carlos Bahia are in Round 4 of the main event. Rodrigo is in heat 2 with Hawaiians Kai Sallas and Kainala Stewart and Australian Declan Wyton. Bahia competes in heat 3 against the Filipino Rogelio Esquievel Jr, the Japanese Taka Inoue and the French Taka Inoue.
The most exciting heat of the event so far featured 2023 bronze medalist Edouard Delpero (FRA), 2019 gold medalist Benoit Piccolo Clemente (PER) and WSL Longboard Tour standout Declan Wyton (AUS).
Taking advantage of the perfect conditions, the surfers presented an impressive variety of maneuvers. Heat scores from all three were among the highest of the event so far, with Delpero achieving the highest single wave score (9.23 points) and highest total (17.40). Wyton advanced in second place, just 0.03 ahead of Clemente, who went to the repechage.
“On paper, it would be a strong battery, for sure. But in the water, I know Declan and Piccolo well, and I know what they are capable of”, says Edouard Delpero (FRA). “I was lucky in the last change, which put me in a great position. I knew I was in second, just watching what Declan would do. I waited for him to make his choice, and when he started paddling, I realized there was something bigger behind it, and I hoped it wasn’t a third surfer, you know? Just to guarantee victory. So when I saw the wave, I knew there was a potential line, so I was happy to catch it and get the score I needed.”
Several other strong heats filled the remainder of Round 3 of the men’s main event, with highlights from Japan’s Kai Hamase and Taka Inoue, Kaniela Stewart (HAV), 2023 bronze medalist Rogelio Esquievel Jr (PHI) and 2010 world champion Rodrigo Sphaier (BRA).
Honolua Blomfield (HAV), three-time WSL Longboard Champion, found the best waves of the day, earning 8.00 points, the highest single wave score for women and the highest total, 12.83.
“I feel like I definitely tend to deal with conditions like that at home,” says Blomfield. “I’ve been facing similar situations for a long time in Pipeline and Pupukea, for example, where I get sandbars. I catch as many waves as possible, so I’m used to it. But I confess that today was a challenge. I love competing in the ISA. I think team surfing is something really cool, something we don’t have most of the year. When they called me, I thought: ‘Of course I’m going’.”
